Department for Transport

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an assessment of the merits of extending the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme to cover all electric motorcycles.

Jesse Norman: The Government has no plans to carry out such an assessment at present. Government funding for the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme is focused on cars and vans, since they produce a much greater proportion of road transport emissions than motorcycles.

Department for Transport: Trade Unions

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March to Question 232553 on Department for Transport: Trade Unions, how many induction meetings for new entrants were held in his Department in 2018; in how many of those meetings were trades unions (a) invited to make and (b) excluded from making a presentation; and how many staff attended those meetings.

Jesse Norman: Business AreaNumber of induction meetings**Number of staff that attended the induction meetingsNumber of induction meetings at which the trade unions were invited to make a presentation atNumber of induction meetings at which the trade unions were excluded from making a presentation atDepartment for Transport (central department)12540*N/AN/ADriver and Vehicle Licensing Agency15366150Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency27260270Maritime and Coastguard Agency00N/AN/AVehicle Certification Agency1600*Estimate only based on capacity of courses  **’Induction meetings’ refer to formal sessions for groups of new entrants, and not any other meeting that may form part of an individual induction plan DfTc and VCA are in discussions with the trade union side about how to incorporate the trade union into the induction process. The induction materials given to new staff include information about joining a trade union.

Department for Transport: Trade Unions

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March to Question 233002 on Government Departments: Trade Unions, what assessment he has made of the effect of restrictions placed on trade unions during a dispute on compliance with freedom of association and freedom of expression under the Human Rights Act 1998.

Jesse Norman: The Department supports the right of employees to join a trade union, and the right of the union to communicate with its members. The Department’s policy is not to make facilities available to the trade union for the purpose of planning, promoting, or implementing a decision to take industrial action against the Department, which it does not believe is contrary to the requirements of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Department for Transport: Overtime

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March to Question 232554 on Department for Transport: Overtime, on what dates (a) trades unions wrote to the Department, (b) his Department replied and (c) his Department met with trades union in relation to the judgment on Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council v. Mr G Willetts.

Jesse Norman: Correspondence, including records of meetings, between the Department and trade unions relating to the judgement on Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council v. Mr G Willetts is not held centrally, or in the format requested, and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Department for Transport: Brexit

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has deprioritised any Statutory Instruments in relation to the UK leaving the EU; and if he will publish the criteria his Department uses to deprioritise those Instruments.

Chris Grayling: Our objective has always been to have a functioning statute book in place by Exit Day and to ensure that the most critical secondary legislation was made by this point. The laying date for each SI was carefully considered on a case-by-case basis. SIs which we deprioritised were done so because they made very minor technical changes which we did not consider essential to be in force for exit day, and where there would be very little or no material impact from them not being in place for ‘day 1’. These considerations and assessments have meant that the Department has been able to lay the critical secondary legislation required before we exit the EU. The laying of EU Exit SIs allows Parliament to fulfil its essential scrutiny role. The exact nature of this scrutiny, and the steps required before an SI completes its passage, is dependent on the type of SI. The Government remains confident of passing the necessary legislation required to ensure a functioning statute book by exit day.

Department for Transport: Staff

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) male and (b) female direct entrants at Grade 7 level in his Department  started on a higher salary level than the Grade 7 minimum in (i) 2015, (ii) 2016, (iii) 2017, (iv) 2018 and (v) 2019.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) male and (b) female direct entrants at Grade 7 level in DfT Rail started on a higher salary level than the Grade 7 minimum in (i) 2015, (ii) 2016, (iii) 2017, (iv) 2018 and (v) 2019.

Jesse Norman: The table below shows the number of male and female direct entrants at Grade 7 level, in DfT(c), DVLA, DVSA, MCA and VCA, who started on a higher salary level than the Grade 7 minimum, for the years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and up to 31 January 2019 (the latest data available at the time of writing). The figures shown in brackets show the total number of direct entrants for that year.   YearNumber of male direct entrants at Grade 7 level, appointed above the Grade 7 minimumTotal number of male entrants at Grade 7 levelNumber of female direct entrants at Grade 7 level, appointed above the Grade 7 minimumTotal number of female entrants at Grade 7 level201571403201661647201731577152018197510322019 (up to 31 January 2019)2323 There were 16 direct entrants at Grade 7 level in DfT Rail between 2015 and 31 January 2019 with a salary higher than the Grade 7 minimum. It is not possible to disaggregate this further between male and female entrants, or the years in which they joined the Department, as it would be possible to identify individuals.

Motorways

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many miles of motorway have been converted to a smart motorway;  and what the (a) mileage and (b) cost was for each conversion in each of the last five years.

Jesse Norman: The table below provides details for the projects which have opened to traffic since 2015/16, the length of the scheme in miles, and the latest approved outturn cost for each. The data shows that over 200 lane miles have been added to the motorway network through these schemes since 2015/16.Open to TrafficSchemeScheme lengthOutturn cost (£m)2015/16M1 Junctions 28-3118.9206.702015/16M6 Junctions 10a-139.6102.202016/17M1 Junctions 32-35A9.1125.502015/16M1 Junctions 39-426.7127.702017/18M3 Junctions 2-4A13.4274.202017/18M1 Junctions 19-1614.4194.302017/18M5 Junctions 4A-68.8133.302018/19M60 Junction 8 to M62 Junction 20: Smart Motorway12.4297.002018/19M6 Junctions 16-1918.2265.002018/19M1 Junctions 23a-256.7139.60

Transport: EU Countries

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to ensure the continuation of (a) aviation and (b) ferry travel to the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Chris Grayling: The EU has agreed a Regulation which would allow for the continuation of flights between the UK and the EU for a period of 12 months if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. The Government has set out how it will reciprocate and allow flights by EU carriers between the EU and the UK to continue. The maritime sector is generally liberalised and neither the UK nor the EU expects there to be any issues with ferry services continuing to operate.

A12: Suffolk

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to support road improvements to the A12 between Ipswich and Lowestoft.

Jesse Norman: The Department is currently reviewing Suffolk County Council’s proposed A12 Suffolk Energy Gateway scheme and will announce its decision in due course. The Department has also asked Transport for the East to provide it with advice later this year on its priority Major Road Network and Large Local Major schemes. Transport for the East can if desired include proposals for improvements to the A12 in this advice.

Railways

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April to Question 238613 on Railways, how many sleepers have been stockpiled by Network Rail to meet demand in the period between Washwood Heath ceasing production and the replacement facility reaching production capacity; how much was spent by Network Rail on stockpiling railway sleepers in each of the previous three financial years; and what contingency plans Network Rail has in place to meet future demand in the event that Sandwell metropolitan borough council does not grant plannig consent for a new sleeper factory at Bescot rail yard.

Andrew Jones: A proposal for a new facility in Bescot is being developed by Network Rail to produce the sleepers necessary for them to maintain, renew, and enhance our rail network. The facility is intended to make up the shortfall when an existing facility at Washwood Heath is closed to become an HS2 depot.Information held by Network Rail about stockpiling of sleepers is commercially sensitive due to ongoing procurement. If there is a delay in receiving sleepers from the proposed Bescot facility Network Rail will use stockpiled sleepers. If the stockpile of sleepers is exhausted this will affect Network Rail’s ability to deliver renewals on the railway.

M6: Air Pollution

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many air quality monitoring stations there are on the M6 between junction 7, Great Barr and junction 9, Wednesbury; and if he will place in the Library copies of the readings fromsuch stations in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Jesse Norman: Highways England undertook six months of monitoring between December 2015 and June 2016 between Junction 7 and 9 of the M6. The monitoring locations are presented in the attached document;



Table
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Railways: Bescot

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place in the Library copies of all correspondence between his Department, Network Rail and RAIL.ONE in relation to the proposed sleeper factory at Bescot Rail Yard.

Andrew Jones: A proposal for a new facility in Bescot is being developed by Network Rail to produce the sleepers necessary for them to maintain, renew, and enhance our rail network. The facility is intended to make up the shortfall when an existing facility at Washwood Heath is closed to become an HS2 depot. Officials have this year corresponded with Network Rail about the proposed facility for the sole purpose of obtaining the factual information needed to provide accurate answers to the Hon. Member’s questions, as is standard practice.  I have no plans to place this correspondence in the libraries of the House.

Railways: Bescot

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how Network Rail has calculated the Gross Value Added to the local economy of a new sleeper factory at Bescot Rail Yard during the (a) temporary construction period and (b) once the facility is operational.

Andrew Jones: A proposal for a new facility in Bescot is being developed by Network Rail to produce the sleepers necessary for them to maintain, renew, and enhance our rail network. The facility is intended to make up the shortfall when an existing facility at Washwood Heath is closed to become an HS2 depot. The facility is expected to generate an estimated £7.8m of Gross Value Added (GVA) per year for the local economy over the two-year construction period. One construction is complete and the facility is operational, it is estimated that the GVA will be £6.1m per year. These figures take into account a number of factors including; the average GVA per head for manufacturing workers in Sandwell, additional direct employment as a result of the facility including an apprenticeship scheme, the sourcing of materials from local businesses, haulage contracts worth an estimated £5m, local benefits associated with the development of an unused brownfield site which will stimulate further investment, and increased business rates generated by the facility with an estimated increase of up to approximately £300,000 in business rates revenue annually.

South Eastern Rail Franchise

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to announce the successful bidder for the South Eastern Franchise.

Andrew Jones: The South Eastern franchise competition is currently in the evaluation phase. The Department is working to achieve the best possible outcome for passengers and taxpayers, and an announcement will be made in due course.

Bus Services: Hertfordshire

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of extending Oyster and contactless payments to bus services across Hertfordshire.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The bus market outside London is deregulated with the majority of services provided on a commercial basis by private sector bus operators. Smart ticketing is an important element of making buses more attractive and the bus industry has been rolling out smart ticketing and contactless payments on buses in many areas for a number of years. Currently over 60% of buses accept contactless payments. Contactless payment is just one part of the bus user’s experience, and we are taking forward measures to help make bus travel more attractive. I recently announced all operators of local bus services across England (with the exception of Section 19 and Section 22 permit holders) will be required to provide high quality, accurate and open data, including routes and timetables, fares and tickets and location data, from 7 January 2020.

Govia Thameslink Railway

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with GTR on the feasibility of 4 trains per hour stopping at every station along the Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City line.

Andrew Jones: Following my meeting with my Rt hon. Friend earlier this year, I wrote to Patrick Verwer, Govia Thameslink Railway’s (GTR’s) Chief Executive, to raise this issue with him. We would support an increase in off-peak calls along the Welwyn Garden City to Moorgate line, if they can be implemented with no cost and with no detriment to the reliability and punctuality of service across the wider network. This change is dependent on the capabilities of the Class 717 rolling stock, which GTR will be able to assess once it has been fully established in regular service. Once this assessment is complete, GTR will reconsider whether the increase in calls can be implemented with no performance or financial cost.

Roads: South Yorkshire

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the announcement of 31 March 2019 of a £201 million road re-pair fund to be given to councils across the country, what proportion of that fund the Government plans to allocate to (a) South Yorkshire and (b) Barnsley.

Jesse Norman: The £201 million announced on 31 March is made up of £50 million from the Pothole Action and Flood Resilience Funds and £151 million Incentive Element of Local Highways Maintenance funding for the 2019/20 financial year. This is an element of the £6.6 billion for local highway maintenance the Department for Transport is providing between 2015 and 2021. Barnsley Council (along with Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield City Councils) is a constituent member of the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority. Since 2010 highway maintenance block funding has been paid directly to the Combined Authority. From the £201 million the Sheffield City Region will receive: Funding StreamSheffield City Region £mPothole Action and Flood Resilience Funds*2.106Incentive Element*0.722Total2.828* Sheffield City Council’s Highways Maintenance PFI project commenced operation on 20 August 2012 and the Department for Transport is providing £47,664,262 per annum. While this is operational Sheffield will not be eligible to receive highways maintenance block funding from the Department for Transport.

Railways: Gloucestershire

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timeframe is for the start of improvements on Cheltenham and Gloucester to London rail services; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones: Great Western Railway is planning to introduce its enhanced timetable on 15 December this year. This sees the current two-hourly through train service between Cheltenham, Gloucester and London increased to hourly. The new timetable is currently being developed through the rail industry's timetabling process led by Network Rail.

Ports: France

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) discussions, (b) correspondence and (c) meetings his Department has had with French ports since January 2018.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Department for Transport, along with those of other Departments, has engaged in several meetings and discussions with French ports since January 2018.

Ports: France

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what methodology his Department has used to assess the capacity of French ports as part of its preparations for the possibility of there being no deal on the UK leaving the EU.

Chris Grayling: The Department has made its assessments based on publicly available information, information from Border Force colleagues, and contact with the ports themselves. This has provided an understanding of how the ports work now and informed an assessment of potential impact on capacity in a no deal scenario.

Portsmouth International Port

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the document entitled, EU Exit No Deal Planning: Portsmouth Port Analysis.

Chris Grayling: The Department has no intention to publish the document which contains commercially sensitive information. For operational purposes, the Department has shared the document in confidence with relevant stakeholders, including the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Resilience Forum (LRF).

Ports

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on which ports his Department has conducted individual analysis to assess the risks and contingencies required for there being no deal in respect of the UK leaving the EU.

Chris Grayling: The Department conducted individual analysis of the impact of potential changes to border processes in Member State ports, on traffic at Dover, Holyhead, Grimsby & Immingham, Killingholme, Hull and Portsmouth, as well as the Channel Tunnel terminal. These locations were prioritised following a high-level assessment of international road freight volumes. Advice has been shared with relevant stakeholders to inform contingency planning. This builds on the regular discussions which officials have had with a range of ports across the country.

Channel Ferries

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the volume of additional capacity was in cross channel ferry routes invoked in relation to contingency planning for the UK leaving the EU without a deal being triggered on 29 March 2019.

Chris Grayling: I refer the hon. Member to the Answer given by the Secretary of State on 27 March, [UIN 235761].

Department for Transport: Disclosure of Information

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many non-disclosure agreements his Department has entered into with departmental staff in each of the last five years.

Jesse Norman: The number of non-disclosure agreements that the Department of Transport has entered into with departmental staff, relating to their employment, in each of the last five years is provided in the attached table: Due to the small number of non-disclosure agreements, a breakdown below 5 is not provided as this could lead to the identification of individuals.



table
(PDF Document, 8.19 KB)

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Self-employed

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to tackle late payments to freelancers.

Kelly Tolhurst: Holding answer received on 08 April 2019



Government is clear that unfavourable payment practices is a serious issue. That is why we have a range of measures in place with the aim to address the imbalance in market power between parties, increase transparency and encourage better payment practices through culture change. The Payment Practices and Performance Reporting Requirement requires large businesses to report biannually on their payment practices and performance. Businesses must publish this information on gov.uk, providing transparency in payment practices and making payment behaviour a reputational, board room issue. To date over 13,000 reports have been submitted. Government continues to support the Prompt Payment Code as a best practice in payment standards. Last year the Secretary of State announced a new, tough and transparent compliance regime to ensure the Code is rigorously enforced. The Secretary of State also announced that he had appointed the Small Business Commissioner to the Prompt Payment Code Compliance Board. Last year Government launched a Call for Evidence to assess what further steps and intervention may be needed to create a responsible payment culture. A full response will be published shortly and will contain a full package of policy measures. At Spring Statement Government announced that it will require large company’s Audit Committees to review payments practices and report them in their annual accounts. This will elevate payment practices to Board level and increase transparency.

Science and Technology: West Midlands

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that there is adequate early stage patient capital funding of emerging science and technologies in Birmingham and the West Midlands.

Chris Skidmore: As part of our Industrial Strategy, we are unlocking over £20bn of patient equity investment through a 10-year Action Plan. British Patient Capital, part of the Government-owned British Business Bank, has available resources of £2.5bn with which it aims to attract a further £5bn of private sector finance. British Patient Capital will help to support innovative UK SMEs with high growth potential to access the long-term finance they need. This patient investment is available to support emerging science and technologies across the UK, including in Birmingham and the West Midlands. At Budget 2018, £1.6 billion of funding was allocated to boost transformative technologies such as quantum computing and back UK scientists and businesses to be at the frontier of innovation.

Technology: Capital Investment

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to provide early stage patient capital support to develop deep tech in relation to (a) medical devices and (b) energy efficiency.

Kelly Tolhurst: As part of our Industrial Strategy, we are unlocking over £20bn of patient equity investment through a 10-year Action Plan. British Patient Capital (BPC), part of the Government-owned British Business Bank (BBB), has available resources of £2.5bn with which it aims to attract a further £5bn of private sector finance. British Patient Capital will help to support innovative UK SMEs with high growth potential to access the long-term finance they need. This patient investment is available to support emerging science and technologies across the UK. BBB’s patient capital finance support is sector and technology agnostic and is drawn through on a demand-led basis by investment funds on the basis of proposals to BPC Ltd for support. On energy efficiency, the department will be investing £20 million to be at least match-funded by private investors in a new venture capital fund. This Clean Growth Fund will support the development and commercialisation of innovative clean technologies in the UK.

Regional Assistance: Scotland

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant on the Answer of 3 April 2019 to Question 238659, what the date was of the meeting with the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Kelly Tolhurst: My rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State meets regularly with my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and discussed this issue on Tuesday 26th February 2019.

Living Wage and Minimum Wage

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of jobs in (a) the UK, (b) the North West and (c) St Helens borough are paid the (i) National Living Wage and (ii) National Minimum Wage.

Kelly Tolhurst: Through the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW), the Government ensures that the lowest paid in our society are fairly rewarded for their work. April 2019’s increase to the NLW will see nearly 1.8 million workers in the UK receive a 4.9% pay rise. A full-time worker on the NLW will now be more than £2,750 better off over the year compared to when it was first announced in 2015. The table below provides estimates for the number and proportion of jobs in the UK and the North West on the NLW and NMW in 2019. The most recent available data for St. Helens shows were an estimated 2,400 workers who were on the NLW or NMW. National Living WageNational Minimum WageNumber of jobs% of jobsNumber of jobs% of jobsUK1,766,0007.2%364,00010.6%North West222,0008.5%46,00012.1%

Whirlpool Corporation: Tumble Dryers

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Office for Product Safety and Standards received evidence of any instances of Whirlpool’s tumble dryer modification proving ineffective in preventing fires in machines as a result of lint catching in the appliance's heating element as part of its review of the company's handling of its safety issue announced in November 2015.

Kelly Tolhurst: The review found that there is a low risk of harm or injury from lint fires in modified Whirlpool tumble dryers. The Office for Product Safety and Standards is not aware of any evidence of lint fires attributed to a failure in the modification. The evidence indicates that the modification reduces the risk of fire.

Whirlpool Corporation: Tumble Dryers

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Office for Product Safety and Standards has required Whirlpool to take to raise awareness of at-risk tumble dryers in UK homes, as part of its review of the company's handling of its safety issue announced in November 2015.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has published specific requirements for Whirlpool to act on and issued a Decision Letter telling Whirlpool that the company must: improve its management of risk; set up a more rigorous system of quality assurance to ensure modifications are correctly installed; and reach affected consumers in more creative ways to minimise the risk of faulty machines still being in people’s homes. OPSS will monitor Whirlpool’s actions against these requirements.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Brexit

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has deprioritised any Statutory Instruments in relation to the UK leaving the EU; and if he will publish the criteria his Department uses to deprioritise those Instruments.

Andrew Stephenson: The Government’s objective has always been to have a functioning statute book in place by Exit Day and to ensure that the most critical secondary legislation was made by this point.Each SI in the Department was carefully considered on a case-by-case basis.As part of this analysis, BEIS officials considered the material impact of each SI and whether the changes required were minor and technical in nature, and therefore not deemed essential to be in force from day one.These considerations and assessments have meant that my Department has been able to lay the critical secondary legislation required before we exit the EU.The laying of EU Exit SIs allows Parliament to fulfil its essential scrutiny role. The exact nature of this scrutiny, and the steps required before an SI completes its passage, is dependent on the type of SI. The Government remains confident of passing the necessary legislation required to ensure a functioning statute book by Exit Day.

Company Accounts: Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring companies to publish reports on on their R&D spend.

Chris Skidmore: The ONS publish annual R&D statistics, including Business Enterprise R&D (BERD). BERD statistics are based on a business survey and include analysis of regional and sectoral trends. We use the ONS statistics to track progress towards our commitment of increasing overall investment in R&D to 2.4% of GDP by 2027 and 3% in the longer-term.

GKN: Birmingham

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of the planned closure of the GKN Aerospace at Kings Norton, Birmingham on the local economy; and what discussions he has had with representatives of that company on that proposed closure.

Andrew Stephenson: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Sizewell C Power Station

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to ensure that EDF contribute to infrastructure improvements in East Suffolk prior to the building of Sizewell C.

Andrew Stephenson: Any application for development consent for the proposed Sizewell C nuclear generating station will need to consider the potential impacts of the proposal and any mitigations that might be put forward by the developer to address or minimise those impacts to an acceptable level. The question of the appropriateness and acceptability in planning terms of any proposed mitigations will be tested during a public examination conducted by the Planning Inspectorate which will submit a report of its findings to my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State. In taking the decision on whether development consent should be granted for the project, the Secretary of State will follow the relevant requirements in the Planning Act 2008 and have regard to any matters which are important and relevant. In the event that consent was granted, any mitigation which the Secretary of State considered necessary before construction started would be included as a requirement in the development consent order.

Living Wage and Minimum Wage: North West

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many and what proportion of jobs in a) the North West b) Merseyside and (c) Wallasey constituency are paid the (i) National Living Wage and (ii) National Minimum Wage.

Kelly Tolhurst: Through the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW), the Government ensures that the lowest paid in our society are fairly rewarded for their work. April 2019’s increase to the NLW will see nearly 1.8 million workers in the UK receive a 4.9% pay rise. A full-time worker on the NLW will now be more than £2,750 better off over the year compared to when it was first announced in 2015. The table below provides estimates for the number and proportion of jobs in the UK and the North West on the NLW and NMW in 2019. The most recent available data for Merseyside and Wallasey shows an estimated 48,900 workers in Merseyside (8.6% of the workforce) and 3,400 workers in Wallasey (10.0%) on the NLW or NMW.April 2019National Living WageNational Minimum WageNumber of jobs% of jobsNumber of jobs% of jobsUK1,766,0007.2%364,00010.6%North West222,0008.5%46,00012.1%

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2019 to Question 240013, how much of the 2018/19 £200 million budget has been allocated to (a) support for the purchase of vehicles, (b) the installation of the necessary recharging and refuelling infrastructure, (c) a focused R&D programme to support development of innovative technologies, (d) a joint government - industry communications campaign and (e) support for local authorities to introducing a range of policies to support wider ULEV uptake in their areas respectively.

Andrew Stephenson: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Innovate UK: Grants

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April to Question 237126 on Innovate UK: Grants, what proportion of Innovate UK grant funding has been awarded to (a) SMEs and (b) large companies since 2004 in each sector.

Chris Skidmore: Since 2004, Innovate UK has allocated funding to the following sectors. Sector Large businessSMEAerospace£840,714,248£61,394,337Agri-Tech£10,425,603£90,178,915Energy£140,484,835£153,132,910Healthcare£27,631,824£268,619,252Life Science£3,605,908£28,233,769Materials and Manufacturing£6,653,473£37,208,881Space£6,358,779£14,382,838Transport£229,587,823£221,127,202Other sectors£1,481,329,743£1,306,782,393Total2,746,792,2362,181,060,497

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Syria: Islamic State

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department have requested the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross to repatriate children of UK nationals associated with ISIS in North-East Syria.

Mark Field: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not requested the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross in relation to the repatriation of children from Syria. Our advice to any British national abroad, who needs emergency help from the British Government, is to contact the nearest British Embassy, Consulate or High Commission - which in this case will be outside Syria. If British citizens are able to seek consular assistance outside of Syria, then we would work with local and UK authorities to facilitate their return if requested.​

India: Detainees

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK detainees are awaiting trial in India; and how many have been in detention for (a) longer than six months (b) longer than one year  and (c) longer than two years.

Mark Field: ​I can confirm that as of November 2018, we were aware of 44 British Nationals in detention in India, of which 19 individuals were yet to be sentenced. The period of detention prior to sentencing varies from a few days to more than two years.

Burma: Islam

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle incidences of hate speech directed against Muslim minorities in Myanmar.

Mark Field: The UK continues to be deeply concerned by the incidences of hate speech in Myanmar. Our Ambassador discussed the impact of social media on intercommunal relations and the necessity of interfaith dialogues in his meeting with the Minister for Religious Affairs on 9 August. Our Embassy continues to work with local partners in Myanmar to tackle this issue.The British Government continues to raise Myanmar at the UN Human Rights Council. We played a leading role, working with EU partners and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and secured a UN Human Rights Council Resolution on 27 September that sets out the steps the Government of Myanmar should take to address the spread of discrimination and prejudice and to combat the incitement to hatred against the Rohingya Muslims and other minorities, by publicly condemning such acts and enacting necessary anti-hate speech laws.We further secured a UN Human Rights Resolution in March which called upon the Government of Myanmar to step up action to combat incitement to violence and hate speech.

Brunei: Contracts

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many Government Departments and agencies have commercial contracts in Brunei; what the total value is of those contracts; and how many UK civil servants are currently deployed in Brunei delivering those contracts.

Mark Field: Government departments and agencies have no commercial contracts in Brunei beyond those to cover the day-to-day running and maintenance of the British High Commission and the British Forces Brunei.

Brunei: Contracts

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent guidance his Department has provided to UK Government departments and agencies on the status of (a) commercial and (b) other contracts with Brunei.

Mark Field: There has been no change of advice to British Government departments or agencies on the status of (a) commercial or (b) other contracts. Government departments and agencies have no commercial contracts in Brunei beyond those to cover the day-to-day running and maintenance of the British High Commission and the British Forces Brunei.

Antarctic Treaty

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what contribution the UK Government makes to the Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK’s contribution to the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat for the 2019/2020 financial year was $60,347 USD, which was paid in January 2019. Details of annual contributions by all Antarctic Treaty Parties can be found in the meeting records of each Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting at www.ats.aq.

Antarctic Treaty

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the UK’s obligations are under the Antarctic Treaty.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK is fully committed to the Antarctic Treaty and its objective to preserve the continent for peace and science. The Treaty sets out the obligations of Parties, including the participation in, and facilitation of, Antarctic Treaty inspections and the participation in annual Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings. Formal decisions taken by Antarctic Treaty Parties come into force internationally when they have been approved by all Parties. The UK is one of only a few Parties to be up-to-date with this process. The UK is also a Member of the Commission of the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, which sets out rights and obligations for managing fisheries in the Southern Ocean; and a Party to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, which ensures that all activities undertaken by British nationals are pre-planned and potential environmental impacts are mitigated. The Antarctic Acts 1994 and 2013 establish the UK’s obligations under the Treaty, the Convention and the Protocol in domestic legislation.

Antarctic: China

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the use of bases belonging to the Peoples Republic of China in the Antarctic.

Sir Alan Duncan: China has established four scientific stations in Antarctica and is currently establishing a fifth. In terms of number of scientific papers, during the period 2011-2015, China ranked sixth (the UK was second) and its scientific activities have continued to increase. Its scientific stations are strategically located across Antarctica and underline China’s ambition to increase their influence within the Antarctic Treaty System. China has stated its objective to ‘understand, protect and use’ Antarctica. Whilst the UK, and many other Parties, have expressed concern regarding China’s reference to the ‘use’ of Antarctica, in light of the Treaty’s objectives of Conservation and protection, there is no evidence to date of China undertaking any activities in contravention to the Treaty.

Antarctic: China

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether bases in the Antarctic belonging to the People's Republic of China have been inspected under the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: In the past 20 years, China's Great Wall Station, based in the British Antarctic Territory, has been inspected 12 times, including 4 times by the UK, most recently in 2012. Zhongshan, in the Australia Antarctic Territory has been inspected 3 times. Kunlun (established in 2009) and Taishan (established in 2014) have yet to be formally inspected. The conclusion of the most recent inspection to Great Wall station by the UK, Netherlands and Spain, was that the station facilities had been recently expanded and was one of the best equipped in the region, and that there appeared to be scope for more international collaboration on science programmes. China welcomed the inspection and committed to increase scientific collaboration at the station.

Antarctic: China

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether military activities have been detected in the bases belonging to the People’s Republic of China in the Antarctic; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: No military activities have been detected in the bases belonging to the People's Republic of China in the Antarctic. The Antarctic Treaty does not prevent the use of military personnel or equipment for scientific research or for any other peaceful purpose. All inspections and observations of Chinese Antarctic scientific stations have concluded that operations are in full compliance with the Antarctic Treaty. Along with other Parties, the UK will also continue to monitor closely activities by China and other states to ensure compliance with the Antarctic Treaty.

Attorney General

Victims

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Attorney General, what steps he is taking to ensure that victims of serious crime receive regular updates on police and CPS progress on those crimes.

Robert Buckland: In England and Wales, the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (Victims’ Code) outlines the services victims are entitled to receive, including updates on the progress of their case during an investigation or prosecution. Bereaved families in homicide cases and victims of the most serious offences will receive information within 1 working day of key developments, such as when a suspect is arrested or released without charge. Victims will also be informed how often they will receive updates on the status of the case following discussion with the police. In the first cross-government Victims Strategy, published in September 2018, the Government committed to amend the Victims’ Code and we intend to consult on the changes shortly. We also committed in the strategy to hold agencies to account for compliance with the Victims’ Code through improved reporting, monitoring and transparency on whether victims are receiving entitlements.

Criminal Proceedings: Evidence

Ben Lake: To ask the Attorney General, what steps he is taking to tackles failures in the disclosure of evidence through encouraging early engagement between prosecution and defence teams in criminal cases.

Robert Buckland: The Attorney General’s ‘Review of the efficiency and effectiveness of disclosure in the criminal justice system’, published in November 2018, highlighted the need for early engagement. The Review includes recommendations on pre-charge engagement and proportionate frontloading to ensure there is a better balance between streamlining work and performing disclosure obligations early. This National Disclosure Improvement Plan, which contains commitments made by the CPS, NPCC and College of Policing, also highlights the importance of engagement between the prosecution and the defence.

Knives: Crime

Rosie Cooper: What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on improving prosecution rates for knife crime.

Vicky Foxcroft: What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on improving prosecution rates for knife crime.

Robert Buckland: Government departments are working quickly to tackle this serious issue. As part of our strong response, the Prime Minister hosted a Serious Youth Violence Summit at 10 Downing Street, with the support of the Home Secretary, from 1 to 4 April, which I took part in. The Summit will now lead on to an increased programme of work across Government and beyond that will be overseen by a new Ministerial Taskforce, chaired by the Prime Minister, to drive action across Government.

Female Genital Mutilation: Prosecutions

Paul Blomfield: What steps the CPS is taking to improve the rate of prosecution of people responsible for female genital mutilation.

Nigel Huddleston: What steps the CPS is taking to prosecute people responsible for female genital mutilation.

Robert Buckland: The CPS is determined to bring those responsible for Female Genital Mutilation to justice. I welcome the recent successful conviction in London which was the first in the UK. Whilst prosecution alone will not end this appalling crime, this first conviction sends out a strong message that FGM is child abuse and that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

Terrorism: Prosecutions

Mr Philip Hollobone: How many returning jihadist fighters have been prosecuted (a) successfully and (b) unsuccessfully in the last five years.

Robert Buckland: The CPS does not collate or publish data on categories of offender such as foreign terrorist fighters. However, latest figures from the Home Office for all types of terrorism cases (which includes Foreign Terrorist Fighters) show that last year 84 people were tried following charges brought by the CPS for terrorism-related offences, resulting in 76 convictions. The remaining 8 were found not guilty.

Department of Health and Social Care

Community Health Services: Hertfordshire

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the tender process to move adult community services in West Hertfordshire from Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust to Central London Community Healthcare.

Caroline Dinenage: We do not centrally hold information on the cost of this specific tender process. It is for local areas to devise how best to deliver services that meet their local needs and priorities. These decisions have to be clinically sound and should always be based on the best evidence of patients’ best interests.

Members: Correspondence

Karen Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter of the hon. Member for Lincoln of 23 January 2019 on the Health Surgery in Bracebridge Heath reference KL6342.

Caroline Dinenage: I replied to the hon. Member’s letter on 1 April 2019.

Social Services: Registration

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Care Quality Commissions processes applications for registration from SMEs in the care sector in a timely manner.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department holds the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to account for its performance against its Key Performance Indicators, which include assessment of its registration of providers. The CQC is acting to manage the increasing volume of registration applications more efficiently and to ensure it continues to assess the quality of applications against the regulations and fundamental standards. The improvements the CQC are making to its registration processes are for all providers, including small and medium-sized enterprises.

Autism: Health Education

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government has put in place to mark world autism awareness week between 1 and 7 April 2019; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure that people with autism have equal opportunities in all areas of society.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government is committed to raising awareness and understanding of autism in line with the cross-Government autism strategy and the Autism Act 2009. On 21 March 2019, I responded to the Backbench Business Debate on autism services on behalf of the Government. During autism awareness week 2019, I undertook a Ministerial visit on 1 April to the National Autistic Society’s Birch House Service in Godalming to meet with autistic people and carers. On 3 April, I chaired the Annual Autism Accountability meeting which reports on progress in implementing the autism strategy, ‘Think Autism’. On 4 April, my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care undertook a Ministerial visit to the Sycamore Trust to meet with autistic people and carers. On 5 April 2019, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced, in an article for the Politics Home website, the development of a public autism awareness raising campaign to improve awareness and understanding of autism. The Department is working together with stakeholders including autistic people and carers to develop this. We expect the campaign will be launched by the end of the year. Government Departments are taking forward actions and strategies to raise awareness and understanding of autism, and to adjust services to make them more accessible to autistic people. For example, these include: - In July 2018, the Department for Transport published its, ‘Inclusive Transport Strategy: Achieving Equal Access for Disabled People’. The Department for Transport is committed to ensuring that disabled people and those with hidden impairments such as autistic people have the same access to transport and opportunities to travel as everyone else; and- Through the Disability Confident scheme, the Department for Work and Pensions is engaging with employers, offering guidance and helping to promote the skills, talents and abilities of autistic people and associated hidden impairment conditions. Over 11,000 employers have signed up. A Disability Confident Toolkit has also been developed to provide comprehensive information on autism and hidden impairments, as well as guidance on employment and local authority services. In addition, Access to Work has a hidden impairment support team that aims to give advice and guidance to help employers support employees with conditions such as autism, learning disability and/or mental health conditions and it offers eligible people an assessment to find out their needs at work and help to develop a support plan.

Maternity Services: Proof of Identity

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2019 to Question 233538 on Maternity Services: Proof of Identity, what information his Department holds on whether people have (a) delayed seeking or (b) been deterred from seeking NHS services as a result of identification checking.

Stephen Hammond: National Health Service staff do not have a legal obligation to check a patient’s identification and asking for, or providing, ID is not a requirement of the Charging Regulations. The pilot that took place between May and October 2017, of which 19 trusts participated in trialled the effectiveness of asking for two forms of identification from patients in improving the identification of chargeable patients. The pilot considered, amongst other things, whether requesting two forms of identity deterred or prevented patients who did not have proof of identity documents but were entitled to NHS services free of charge from accessing healthcare. A few cases were highlighted where overseas patients may have been deterred from accessing treatment due to the ID checking, although analysis of the available data did not show adverse impacts on cancellation and did not attend rates. The Department does not hold any other information on whether people have delayed or deterred from seeking NHS services and there has been no further work on identification pilots undertaken by the Department.

Mental Health Services: Waiting Lists

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time from initial assessment to the provision of mental health services was in (a) Barnsley, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) the UK in each of the last 5 years for which data is available.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time is from initial assessment to the provision of mental health services for children in (a) Barnsley, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) the UK in each of the last 5 years for which data is available.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information is not available in the format requested.

Mental Health Services

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help support people with mental health issues as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Government is committed to ensuring everyone with a mental health problem has access to treatment based on clinical need, regardless of the cause of their mental ill health.

Embryos

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the medical conditions are for which interspecies nuclear transfer has provided the first effective treatments; and how many admixed human embryo have been produced in each year since the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008.

Jackie Doyle-Price: There are no medical conditions for which interspecies nuclear transfer has provided effective treatments. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that, in 2008, 155 admixed embryos were produced in a HFEA licensed research project. No admixed embryos have been produced in HFEA licensed research projects in any other year to date.

Embryos

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many embryos produced without the direct intention of establishing pregnancies were transferred to uteri between 1 August 1991 and 31 December 2017; what techniques were used to produce embryos that were transferred; how affected patients were informed of this at the time; and what sanctions were imposed on the clinics responsible.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that there were no embryos produced without the direct intention of establishing pregnancies transferred to uteri between 1 August 1991 and 31 December 2017.

Diabetes: Nurses

Liz McInnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that Diabetes Specialist Nurses have (a) sufficient time to take part in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses, (b) basic introductory training in the latest diabetes technology and (c) online access to all training and CPD courses.

Stephen Hammond: It is in the best interests of employers to encourage and support the learning and development of their employees. Any agreements, such as protected study time, would need to be negotiated between the employer and its employees. Individual health professionals, including diabetes specialist nurses, have responsibility to own and manage their own learning to ensure they meet the continuing professional development (CPD) standards to remain registered with the regulatory body. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) require 35 hours of CPD relevant to scope of practice as a nurse or midwife in the three year period since registration was last renewed, or joining the register. The NMC does not prescribe any particular type of CPD, it is up to registered nurses to decide what activity is most useful for their development as a professional. A range of free online training resources for National Health Service staff are available at the e-Learning for Healthcare website at the following link: https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/ My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has commissioned Baroness Dido Harding Chair of NHS Improvement, working closely with Sir David Behan, Chair of Health Education England, to oversee the delivery of a workforce implementation plan. This will include proposals to grow the workforce, consideration of additional staff and skills required, building a supportive working culture in the NHS and how to ensure first rate leadership for NHS staff. This will include consideration of the workforce aspects of clinical priorities, including diabetes.

Breasts: Plastic Surgery

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department of the implications for his policies of France's National Agency for Medicines and Health Products' decision to ban macro-textured and polyurethane breast implants for cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating medical devices in the United Kingdom. The Agency is aware of the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products’ (ANSM) announcement restricting the use of certain types of breast implants. This does not include all macro-textured breast implants on the French market. France has said its approach is a precautionary measure as part of their ongoing investigation into Breast Implant Associated- Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma. This action goes further than the recommendations of ANSM’s own expert panel in February 2019. Based on an analysis of the scientific evidence available and independent expert clinical advice received, it was confirmed there was no new evidence which would change the United Kingdom Regulator’s view, because there was nothing to indicate any increased risk to patients with these implants over what is already known. At this time, the MHRA’s position is consistent with all other European Union member states. The MHRA’s advice continues to be, if people have any questions about their implants, they should speak to their implanting surgeon or general practitioner.

NHS: Drugs

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with community (a) pharmacies and (b) pharmacy organisations in Scotland on the implementation of the Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I., 2019, No. 62).

Seema Kennedy: Community Pharmacy Scotland is a member of the joint Departmental and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Falsified Medicines Directive Implementation Advisory Board. In relation to implementation of the serious shortage protocol provisions the Department has had discussions with Community Pharmacy Scotland, representing community pharmacy owners in Scotland, in the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee Brexit Forum.

Mental Health Services: East of England

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to improve the recruitment of (a) core psychiatry trainees and (b) specialist mental health trainee doctors in the east of England.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Local authorities, in partnership with local National Health Service mental health trusts, are responsible for assessing the needs of their local population and commissioning services to meet these needs. Health Education England is currently working with the Royal College of Psychiatrists to improve recruitment and retention in core and high core psychiatry training. Initiatives include the #choosepsychiatry campaign, developing run-through training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Widening Access to Specialty Training.

NHS: Managers

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to prevent poorly performing NHS managers from being re-employed in the NHS.

Stephen Hammond: The fit and proper person regulation requirements came into force for all National Health Service trusts and NHS foundation trusts in November 2014. The regulations require trusts to seek the necessary assurance that all directors are suitable and fit to undertake the responsibilities of their role. The Government asked Tom Kark QC to review the fit and proper persons test. The report on the review was published on 6 February 2019 and the Government has accepted two of the recommendations. These relate to standards of competence for directors of NHS organisations and the setting up of a database. We have asked NHS Improvement to develop proposals for implementing these recommendations, as well as reviewing if and how the other recommendations should be taken forwards. NHS Improvement is expected to provide advice on these issues in the summer.

NHS: Pay

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to close the pay gap in the NHS which affects outsourced staff.

Stephen Hammond: It is a matter for individual trusts and foundation trusts to agree with their outsourced service providers what level of pay increase they wish to fund for staff delivering services under contract to the National Health Service. For a number of outsourced services, we are aware that agreements are in place to implement the Agenda for Change (AfC) agreement for their staff. Funding has been provided for the AfC pay deal to NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts from 2019/20 onwards through the normal funding routes from commissioners. This funding also covers services that trusts and foundation trusts have chosen to outsource.

NHS: Drugs

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government’s Chief Pharmaceutical Officer on the implementation of legislative changes in the Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I., 2019, No. 62).

Seema Kennedy: The Department has engaged fully with officials of the Scottish Government, including its Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, on the implementation of legislative changes in the Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019, No. 62) in relation to the Falsified Medicines Directive and the Serious Shortage Protocol.

NHS: Drugs

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport on the stockpiling of drugs in preparation for the UK’s departure from the EU.

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport on what processes will be in place to add a drug to the list of those deemed to be in short supply following the UK’s departure from the EU.

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport on the security of the supply of radioisotopes to Scottish hospitals after the UK has left the EU.

Stephen Hammond: My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care regularly discusses ‘no deal’ contingency plans, including those relating to the supply of medicines and medical products, with a number of stakeholders, the National Health Service and other Government Departments. Furthermore, I engage with Ministerial counterparts in both the Welsh and Scottish Governments, as well as the Permanent Secretary for the Department of Health in the Northern Ireland Civil Service, on European Union exit ‘no deal’ preparations. The Department has overall responsibility to ensure the continuity of supply of medicines and medical products for the whole of the United Kingdom; close engagement and cooperation with colleagues in the devolved administrations reflects this.

Health: Young People

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential role youth work can play in building positive physical and mental health for young people.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Youth work, and the opportunities provided through voluntary, community and social sectors, can make a significant difference to the physical and mental health of young people. In 2015, Public Health England published ‘Improving young people’s health and wellbeing: A framework for public health highlighting the importance and value of youth services’. The report is available to view at the following link:http://www.youngpeopleshealth.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/PHE-Improving-young-peoples-health-and-wellbeing.pdf

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the NICE guidance on prescribing cannabis-based products for medical use will be published.

Seema Kennedy: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is due to publish its guidelines on cannabis-based products for medicinal use in October 2019. The guidance will focus on four indications: chronic pain, intractable nausea and vomiting, treatment-resistant epilepsy and spasticity. It will be based on the best available international evidence and produced using NICE’s world-renowned process for delivering such guidelines.

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of NHS prescriptions for medical cannabis issued in each month since 1 November 2018.

Seema Kennedy: NHS England is using extant systems to monitor use of the newly rescheduled unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use in England. In England, these systems monitor the number of items dispensed and associated costs in primary care and the volume of products used and associated cost in secondary care. NHS England Controlled Drug Accountable Officers are also collecting local intelligence in both the National Health Service and independent sector. Data on the number of items of cannabis-based medicines dispensed in NHS primary care in England from November 2018 to January 2019 has been published by the NHS Business Services Authority. Such data is published three months in arrears, and we expect information for February 2019 to be published shortly. The published data shows that the following number of items of Nabilone and Sativex (two cannabis-based medicines) were dispensed from November 2018 to January 2019:  November 2018December 2018January 2019Nabilone464944Sativex175181167 Data from the NHS Business Services Authority for between November 2018 and January 2019 shows that no prescriptions were dispensed for unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use in primary care in England during this time. We expect data for February 2019 to be available shortly. Unlike NHS primary care where all dispensed prescriptions are processed centrally, this is not the case for secondary care. This information is collected by a third party and not routinely published. 94 patients have accessed Epidiolex though GW Pharma’s early access programmes ahead of a licensing decision by the European Medicines Agency. Intelligence from NHS England Controlled Drugs Accountable Officers is that, up until the end to March 2019, one private prescription has been issued for a cannabis-based product for medicinal use in secondary/tertiary care in England. Import notifications to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency indicate a greater number of supplies. We are therefore cross-checking to ensure that information on the number of prescriptions for cannabis-based products for medicinal use aligns across the different data sources.

Universal Credit: Prescriptions

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many recipients of universal credit have had penalty notices issued for falsely claiming free prescriptions that were subsequently cancelled in each of the last two years; and how many of those cancellations were because the claimant had proven they were correctly claiming such prescriptions.

Seema Kennedy: Work is ongoing to update the FP10 prescription form to include a new exemption tick box for use by Universal Credit (UC) claimants, and the revised form will be introduced at the earliest opportunity. In advance of this update both UC and income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants who meet the criteria for free National Health Service prescriptions are ticking exemption box K on the FP10 prescription form. As a result, the NHS Business Services Authority does not have a data split that enables it to confirm how many recipients of UC have been issued with penalty charge notices for incorrectly claiming free prescriptions that were subsequently cancelled, or how many of these were cancelled due to claimants having a valid prescription charge exemption.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport on how existing reciprocal healthcare arrangements for people from the (a) UK, (b) EU, and (c) European Economic Area will be affected by the UK leaving the EU.

Stephen Hammond: My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care regularly discusses plans for European Union exit, including those relating to reciprocal healthcare, with a wide range of stakeholders and other Government Departments.Furthermore, I engage with Ministerial counterparts in both the Welsh and Scottish Governments, as well as the Permanent Secretary for the Department of Health in the Northern Ireland Civil Service, on preparations for EU exit.

Prescriptions

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people are registered for repeat prescriptions.

Seema Kennedy: Whether a prescription is a repeat or not is not indicated on the prescription therefore it is not recorded centrally.

Social Services: Minimum Wage

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that social care providers have the capacity to pay their staff the national minimum wage for sleep-in shifts.

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to include provisions on sleep-in shift payments in the forthcoming Green Paper on social care.

Caroline Dinenage: Last year’s Court of Appeal judgment on sleep in shifts should not be used as an opportunity to make ad-hoc changes to the fees paid to providers without consultation. I recently wrote to Local Authority Directors of Adult Social Services to communicate this view. The Government has continued to invest in the sector, with an additional £2 billion of funding for care in the Spring Budget 2017, in part to support a sustainable market. The ongoing cost of paying for sleep-in shifts at National Minimum Wage/National Living Wage rates was acknowledged as a pressure on local care markets, and the Government took account of these costs in deciding to provide this sum of additional funding. The Government provided a further £150 million of adult social care support grant in the 2018/19 Local Government Finance Settlement to help manage market pressures. An ageing society means that we need to reach a longer-term sustainable settlement for social care. This is why the Government has committed to publishing a Social Care Green Paper at the earliest opportunity setting out its proposals for reform. The Green Paper will cover a range of issues and Government has already invested funding to put social care on a more stable footing and alleviate short-term pressures across the health and care system. Social care funding for future years will be settled in the Spending Review, where the overall approach to funding local government will be considered in the round.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: North West

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding the Government has allocated to services used by patients with ME in the North West in each year for which information is available.

Seema Kennedy: This data is not available. Services for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis are commissioned by local clinical commissioning groups. It is the responsibility of the local National Health Service commissioners to ensure NHS services are commissioned to meet local need and that they address any shortfalls in provision.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Cocoa

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that (a) farmers and (b) workers in the cocoa industry receive a living income.

Harriett Baldwin: Working towards a living income in global value chains is one of the keys to driving poverty reduction and economic development. The Department for International Development (DFID) is a long-term supporter of the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling Alliance (ISEAL Alliance), the umbrella organisation for standards systems such as Fairtrade, and is one of the founding members of the Living Income Community of Practice. We support the development of standards that help smallholder farmers reach a decent standard of living. DFID also supports the Ethical Trading Initiative, a multi-stakeholder body working with UK food retailers, suppliers, trade unions and civil society to implement International Labour Organisation standards in global value chains, including cocoa. The UK has a strong history of protecting human rights in business and promoting our values globally. We are committed to upholding the UK’s values, including around labour standards, and will consider the full range of mechanisms available in the design of future trade and investment agreements.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department has allocated to the promotion of universal health coverage in each of the last five years.

Harriett Baldwin: DFID is the world’s second largest health donor. Strengthening health systems to deliver universal health coverage (UHC) is a priority for the UK and an overarching goal for DFID health investments. However, we do not classify spend on promoting UHC separately from other health investments.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that countries invest in their health care systems.

Harriett Baldwin: Strong and resilient health systems that meet essential health care needs for all are central to our health efforts. DFID supports countries to mobilise and allocate more of their own domestic resources for health through international advocacy, multilateral investment and our programmes. We also fund technical assistance to strengthen and implement robust health financing strategies and reforms, helping countries to achieve ‘more money for health and more health for the money’.

Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to allocate additional funding at the 6th replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in October 2019.

Harriett Baldwin: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is critical to the delivery of the UK’s objectives on the three diseases and has helped to save 27 million lives since 2002. The UK is fully committed to a successful Sixth Replenishment. We will announce our contribution in time for the October Replenishment Conference in Lyons.

HIV Infection and Tuberculosis

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the global prevalence of TB, HIV and AIDS.

Harriett Baldwin: The UK is a global leader in efforts to end the AIDS epidemic and in tackling TB. The UK is currently the second largest investor in the Global Fund, providing £1.2 billion in the 5th replenishment (2017 – 2019). In 2017 the Global Fund provided 17.5 million people with treatment for HIV and treated 5 million people for TB. The UK has significant investments through health multilaterals such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), which provides technical leadership on tackling TB, HIV and AIDS and on strengthening health systems. We also invest in Unitaid, which is supporting the introduction of new medications for drug-resistant TB and support to them has given the world great advancements in HIV testing and treatment, at affordable costs. We also fund research and product development into more effective diagnosis and treatment and we support countries to strengthen health systems so that they can deliver quality HIV and TB care. The UK Government also pushes for global action on TB, HIV and AIDS through the G7 and G20 and our work with the WHO, Global Fund and other key institutions.

Iran: Floods

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Iran since the recent floods in that country; and what steps her Department are taking to support humanitarian relief efforts in response to those floods.

Penny Mordaunt: Iran has been struck by devastating flooding causing death, injury and significant displacement. My sympathies are with those who have been affected.Iran has demonstrated that it is well placed to respond and is delivering an effective response. The UN is coordinating the international humanitarian response to the devastating floods.The UK supports the UN to enable its agencies to respond to crises, such as these floods, in an emergency.

Libya: Humanitarian Aid

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Libya since the upsurge in violence in that country and the resultant displacement of civilians; and what plans she has to support the humanitarian effort in that country.

Penny Mordaunt: Following the announcement by General Haftar of his Libyan National Army’s advance on Tripoli on 4 April, the UK has been working hard with our international partners to avert further bloodshed in the capital and to get the parties back to the negotiating table with UN Envoy Salamé as soon as possible. We continue to closely monitor the security situation across the whole of Libya to assess where aid can be delivered to alleviate the humanitarian situation. We are currently supporting the humanitarian effort in Libya through a £3.29 million programme which provides assistance to vulnerable people, improves access to primary health care, builds capacity of health care workers and bolsters humanitarian coordination and capability. We have also allocated up to £5 million to humanitarian assistance and protection for migrants and refugees in Libya, including targeted healthcare. The UK government has allocated £16m for Libya this financial year through the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF) to boost political participation and economic development, and support the delivery of greater security, stability and resilience, including the fight against extremism. Furthermore, through our contribution to the EU Trust Fund, the UK has supported the EU and Africa Union joint commitment to significantly increase voluntary returns of those who want to leave Libya (as agreed at the EU-AU Summit in November 2017). Since then, more than 34,000 people have benefitted from Voluntary Humanitarian Return Assistance and been supported to return home.

Department for Education

Apprentices: Taxation

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much money has been reclaimed by employers through the apprenticeship levy in each month since it was introduced.

Anne Milton: The attached table shows the monthly drawdown from employers’ apprenticeship service accounts from the introduction of the levy in May 2017 to January 2019 (the most recent month for which data are available). Employers are able to access these funds to support the costs of apprenticeship training – we have responded to feedback from employers by extending the amount of time employers have to spend their levy from 18 to 24 months. We don’t anticipate that all levy-payers will use all the funds in their accounts. Income from the levy is also used to fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers.The data provided covers funds utilised from employers’ apprenticeship service accounts to cover training costs for learning. It does not include other costs, such as incentives and additional payments for disadvantaged apprentices.



242226_Monthly_Apprenticeship_Levy_Drawdown
(Word Document, 74 KB)

Schools: Cost-effectiveness

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the school resource management advisers trial (a) since its inception, (b) in the last six months and (c) since 1 January 2019.

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the savings achieved by schools as a result of the school resource management advisers trial (a) since its inception, (b) in the last six months and (c) since 1 January 2019.

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to consult (a) teachers, (b) head teachers and (c) other school leaders on the school resource management advisers trial.

Nick Gibb: The School Resource Management Adviser (SRMA) pilot ran from autumn 2017 to August 2018, with the first deployments beginning in January 2018. To date, the Department has spent £659,000 on the SRMA programme. £434,000 of this has been spent in the last six months, of which £350,000 has been spent since 1 January 2019. The increased spend over the last three months reflects the expansion of the programme to offer SRMA support to more schools.In 2017-18, School Resource Management Advisers (SRMAs) identified the potential for over £35 million savings and revenue generation opportunities as part of the pilot programme. The Department is now working with schools and academy trusts to compile data on the areas where SRMAs’ recommendations have been realised and actual savings made. The early signs are promising as it is helping to identify how to deliver resources for the best possible education of pupils. As SRMAs focus their recommendations on actions that will deliver long-term solutions, the Department does not expect to see all of the potential savings realised immediately.When developing the SRMA programme, the Department consulted with a range of sector bodies, including the Association of School and College Leaders, the National Association of Head Teachers and the Institute of School Business Leadership. When SRMAs are undertaking deployments, officials at the Education and Skills Funding Agency are in regular contact with those schools and trusts which the SRMA is working with to understand their experience of the programme. The Department also carried out a formal evaluation of the pilot, which sought the views of those schools and trusts that participated. The feedback received was overwhelmingly positive.

Schools: Apprentices

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost to schools has been of the Apprenticeship Levy; and how many apprentices have been trained in schools since the levy was introduced.

Anne Milton: In February 2018, we published an assessment of costs that schools incur, including the financial impact of the apprenticeship levy. We estimated that over 16,000 schools (three quarters of the total) would pay a combined apprenticeship levy of around £110 million.The assessment can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/678439/Schools_costs_technical_note.pdf. As reported in the statistics publication ‘Public sector apprenticeships in England: 2017 to 2018’: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/public-sector-apprenticeships-in-england-2017-to-2018, there were approximately 6,300 apprenticeship starts in schools between May 2017 and March 2018. Many of these apprenticeship starts will be funded by the apprenticeship levy directly or via local government. Around half of the 6,300 starts were in local authority maintained schools.

Further Education: West Midlands

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many further education providers are operating in the West Midlands; and how such providers there were in each year since 2010.

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students were enrolled in further education colleges in (a) the West Midlands and (b) England in each year since 2010 and how many of those students were aged (i) 16-18, (ii) 18-21 and (iii) over 21.

Anne Milton: The number of learners participating at further education (FE) providers is published in the FE data library, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fe-data-library. The attached table provides the number of FE providers in the West Midlands region where learners have been participating in some form of FE provision from the 2010/11 academic year onwards. The attachment also includes the number of learners studying at general FE colleges in England and the West Midlands from the 2010/11 academic year onwards, broken down into age groups.



PQ_242125_242126_FE_Providers_and_Learners
(Excel SpreadSheet, 59.5 KB)

Further Education: West Midlands

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many further education colleges in the West Midlands region have closed due to insolvency in each year since 2010.

Anne Milton: No further education college in the West Midlands region has closed due to insolvency since 2010 to 9 April 2019.

Primary Education: Nurseries

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many new primary schools have included a nursery since June 2017; and what estimate he has made of the cost of the public purse of that policy.

Nadhim Zahawi: 38 primary free schools have opened since June 2017. 21 of these have nursery provisions and a further 3 have plans for nursery provisions. In addition to this, 4 voluntary-aided primary schools have opened during this time, one of which includes nursery provisions.The cost of a nursery in a free school is integrated into the total cost of the project. It is not possible to separate out the costs of the nursery alone, as they will generally share facilities and services with the school itself.For the purposes of forecasting, the department now estimates the average additional build cost per pupil of including a nursery within a primary free school as around £12,500 excluding VAT. The difference to the figure provided in response to question 182803 attributable to inflation. For actual projects, costs will depend on a variety of local circumstances including site specifications and pupil numbers.Local authorities are also responsible for approving proposals for new voluntary-aided schools, including where proposals include nursery provisions. Local authorities and proposers have been responsible for meeting the associated capital costs of these schools, with proposers expected to cover up to 10% of this amount.

Teachers: Sick Leave

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of days of sickness absence taken by teachers in state-funded schools as a result of mental ill health in each year since 2014 for which data is available.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is not held centrally.

Students: Plagiarism

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to prevent essay mills businesses from targeting university students.

Chris Skidmore: The use of companies that sell bespoke essays to students who pass the work off as their own undermines the reputation of the education system in this country and devalues the hard work of those succeeding on their own merit. The government has a clear expectation that educational institutions do everything in their power to prevent students being tempted by these companies. In a university context that may be through introducing initiatives such as honour codes, as well as making sure their students are aware of the severe consequences they face if they are caught cheating. In addition, the department published an Education Technology strategy on 3 April which challenges technology companies to identify how anti-cheating software can tackle the growth of essay mills and stay one step ahead of the cheats. This strategy can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/realising-the-potential-of-technology-in-education. The government is supporting the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) to put pressure on technology companies who readily facilitate the use of essay mills. On 20 March, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, challenged PayPal to stop processing payments for ‘essay mills’ as part of an accelerated drive to preserve and champion the quality of the UK’s world-leading higher education system. PayPal is now working with businesses associated with essay-writing services to ensure its platform is not used to facilitate deceptive and fraudulent practices in education. Google and YouTube have also responded by removing hundreds of advertisements for essay writing services and promotional content from their sites. This supports and furthers the 2017 efforts of the QAA and National Union of Students and Universities UK who responded to the government’s request to develop guidance for higher education providers on how to combat the threat of “contract cheating”. This guidance includes advice to higher education providers to consider blocking access to essay mills from computers and Wi-Fi systems on their property and disrupting essay mills’ opportunities to advertise by asking pamphlet distributers to leave their campuses and using their own social media and email accounts to contact their students, warning them about any detected contact from particular sites and companies and re-stressing the need for academic integrity. The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education in England. Through the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, the government has given the OfS the power to take action if higher education providers are found to be, in any way, complicit in cheating. This includes imposing fines or ultimately de-registration, the highest possible punishment. The government remains open to the future need for additional legislation and will continue to investigate all options available. We are determined to beat the cheats who threaten the integrity of our higher education system.

Schools: North West

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding was provided to schools in (a) Wallasey, (b) Merseyside and (c) the North West from the Condition Improvement Fund in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) is an annual bidding round to which single and smaller academy trusts and sixth-form colleges are eligible to apply for capital funding. All other schools access capital funding through the School Condition Allocation paid to their responsible body.In the attached table, the Department has provided a regional breakdown of CIF grant awards for the last 5 years. Accurate amounts for grants funded are not known until the work is complete, so the Department is unable to disclose the total funding amount for a CIF round until all the projects in that round are complete.The Department intends to release individual project funding amounts for all CIF rounds once complete and, to date, we have published the funding from 2015-16. Information for CIF 2016-17 onwards does not include the funding amounts. To release the funding amounts for which applicants bid to CIF while procurement or construction works are ongoing would jeopardise the negotiating position of schools and sixth-form colleges to obtain value for money for the public purse from their contractors. 



242028_CIF_regional_breakdown
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Schools: Fires

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many fires have occurred in school buildings in England; and what the cost to each school was of those fires in each year since 2010.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is not held centrally.The Home Office publishes data relating to fires in buildings other than dwellings, which includes categories for educational establishments. The most recent published figures cover the 2010-11 to 2017-18 years inclusive. This information has been published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fire-statistics-data-tables#incident-level-datasets.The data can be found in the file ‘Other building fires dataset’ and the accompanying guidance document.

Schools: Construction

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2019 to Question 231539 on Schools: Fire Extinguishers, how many of the 673 new schools created by his Department by February 2019 were built under the (a) Priority Schools Building Programme and (b) free schools programme.

Nick Gibb: Of the 673 new schools built by the Department by February 2019, 289 were built under the Priority Schools Building Programme, and 384 free schools, university technical colleges and studio schools were opened under the free schools programme in their permanent school buildings.

Academies

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2019 to Question 240009, what the longest period is that one of the 93 academy schools in the process of re-brokering has waited to be transferred to a new academy trust.

Nadhim Zahawi: As at 27 March 2019, our records show that 93 academies are in the process of transferring to different trusts. 89 of the 93 cases have been in progress for less than 12 months.The longest period that one of these academies has been awaiting transfer is 23 months. When transferring an academy from one trust to another, there may be a number of things that can take time to resolve with the incoming trust who has agreed to take on the school, such as private finance initiative contracts – which can be the most problematic, issues relating to land, financial matters, or the process of transferring staff from one trust to another. A substantial majority of academy transfers are voluntary agreements between trusts.Where there are concerns regarding an academy’s performance, the department would seek, wherever possible, to put in place school improvement support while the transfer is underway.

Ministry of Justice

Courts: Digital Technology

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 29 March 2019 to Question 235313 on Courts: Telephone Services, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of recent reports that the face-to-face assisted digital support scheme has helped just 14 people since the introduction of that scheme; and what steps he is taking to increase uptake of that scheme.

Lucy Frazer: We’re investing £1 billion to modernise the justice system, making it easier to use and providing better value for the taxpayer. Our reforms will provide a range of ways to access our services (digital, paper and phone) so users can choose the way the want to interact with HMCTS at any given time. Our digital services are developed iteratively, meaning that we continuously refine them to ensure they are as simple and easy to use as possible. However, we know that this isn’t always an option for some people so our assisted digital support services help people who are less confident using online systems to use the digital services.HMCTS is piloting face to face digital support in 18 locations. Paper forms will also remain for those who choose to use them and improvements are also being made to paper forms.We recognise that we need to look further at how we support those who need help with the digital process. HMCTS is continuing to raise awareness of the support on offer to ensure those who require help in these pilot areas can access it. Community engagement in pilot locations is increasing the number of referrals and seven sites will be added to the face-to-face pilot in May.Pilot face-to-face centres are able to identify and refer people who need digital support to use HMCTS services in their communities. Since starting this process in January 2019, take up of the service has increased week on week with 41 people now having had successful appointments. We are continuing to look at the ways we can ensure that people get the support that they need.

Courts: Closures

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Buzzed article entitled The Ministry Of Justice Has Been Accused Of Sitting On Evidence That Undermines Its Drive To Close Courts, published on 18 March 2019, if he will make an assessment of the accuracy of reports in that article that the Government chose not to publish data which suggested that people had a more positive experience of the justice system if they had physically been in court; and if he will make a statement.

Lucy Frazer: Holding answer received on 08 April 2019



The HMCTS Citizen User Experience report was published in June 2018 on gov.uk. It is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmcts-citizen-user-experience-research. Raw data has also been shared with academics and the findings presented to them.

Justice and Security Act 2013

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice,  pursuant to the Answer of 14 June 2018 to Question 152051, and with reference to the fifth annual Report to Parliament on the use of closed material procedures published in December 2018, what steps he has taken to establish the review of the operation of sections 6 to 11 of the Justice and Security Act 2013; and when that review is scheduled to begin.

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 14 June 2018 to Question 152051, and with reference to the December 2018 publication of the fifth annual Report to Parliament on the use of closed material procedures, when he plans to announce the review of the operation of sections 6 to 11 of the Justice and Security Act 2013.

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 14 June 2018 to Question 152051, how he plans to determine the terms of reference for the review of the operation of sections 6 to 11 of the Justice and Security Act 2013; and whether he will consult civil society and the legal profession on the nature and scope of that review.

Lucy Frazer: A reviewer has not been appointed yet. Discussions between officials are ongoing and an announcement will be made in due course.

Courts: Safety

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will ensure that witnesses and victims have separate entrances and waiting areas from the accused in criminal and family courts.

Lucy Frazer: In criminal courts, victims of crime that have been called as a witness are entitled to enter a court through a different entrance from the suspect and to sit in a separate waiting area. Other witnesses may also seek special measures to use a separate entrance and waiting area. In family courts, vulnerable parties and witnesses may also request the use of a separate entrance and waiting area. Where dedicated separate entrances or waiting areas are not available, court staff will make alternative arrangements wherever possible. As detailed in the Victims Strategy, improving the court environment for victims is a key commitment.

Coroners

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many inquests were resumed after an adjournment where the cause of death was murder in each of the last three years; and how many of those inquests were heard by a jury.

Edward Argar: The Ministry of Justice’s annual collection of data from coroners does not include the number of adjourned investigations which are resumed after a murder trial. The number of such cases will be low, however, because the coroner has to have sufficient reason for resuming the investigation and a criminal trial will often cover the statutory questions which the coroner is required to address. The Ministry’s data collection does include the number of cases not resumed after an adjournment, broken down by sub-groups including murder. The table below shows the number of adjourned murder inquests which coroners decided not to resume from 2013 to 2017. YearMurder Inquests Adjourned and Not Resumed20133332014296201528720162622017326Source: Coroners Statistics 2017, MoJ publication

Ministry of Justice: Brexit

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has deprioritised any Statutory Instruments in relation to the UK leaving the EU; and if he will publish the criteria his Department uses to deprioritise those Instruments.

Lucy Frazer: Our objective has always been to have a functioning statute book in place by Exit Day and to ensure that the most critical secondary legislation was made by this point.All of the Ministry of Justice’s essential ‘no deal’ Exit Statutory Instruments were made prior to 29 March 2019.In addition, the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 are expected to be made shortly; and a further no deal Exit SI, to enable payments to be made to UK recipients of The Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme in the event of a no deal exit, is due to be laid shortly.

Legal Aid Scheme: Refugees

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice,  how many applications for exceptional case funding for legal aid for cases of refugee family reunion were made in 2018; how many of those applications were successful; and what the average time was for processing those applications.

Lucy Frazer: This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Community Rehabilitation Companies

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what action he has taken against the Community Rehabilitation Companies that have failed to deliver a quality service; and whether such companies will still be able to bid for future contracts despite this failure.

Rory Stewart: I have been clear that probation services need to improve. We have taken decisive action by ending current Community Rehabilitation Company contracts early, investing in improvements to Through the Gate services and conducting a consultation on future arrangements. We continue to hold Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) to their contractual obligations using a variety of levers. These include putting in place action plans for all CRCs where concerns relating to quality have been identified by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service or Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation, and applying service credits where appropriate for underperformance on any one of 12 Service Levels focusing on particular aspects of delivery. We will award contracts to those best placed to deliver them. Any bidder in a future competition will need to provide evidence of their ability to deliver probation services.

Probation: Public Sector

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the costs associated with reunification of the probation service into the public sector in comparison to re-letting contracts to private providers.

Rory Stewart: We are currently considering the options for the future of probation services to ensure we achieve the right balance between public, private and voluntary providers. This includes assessing the costs of service delivery, in addition to other factors which play a part in the decision. We will set out more detailed plans shortly, but it is important that we take the time to get this decision right.

South Yorkshire Community Rehabilitation Company

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the HM Inspectorate of Probation report of 29 March 2019 on the South Yorkshire Community Rehabilitation Company, what steps his Department is taking to work alongside HM Inspectorate of Probation, the Chief Inspector of Probation and Sodexo Justice Services to address the matters raised in that report.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to deal with the consequences of the shortage of qualified probation officers identified in the report of HM Inspectorate of Probation of 29 March 2019 with respect to the South Yorkshire Community Rehabilitation Company; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with Sodexo Justice Services as a result of the findings of the HM Inspectorate of Probation report of 29 March 2019 on ways to provide more extensive training for Probation Officers in assessing and managing risk of harm to others.

Rory Stewart: The HM Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP) report into South Yorkshire Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) awarded the service a rating of ‘requires improvement’. The Ministry of Justice recognises the importance of the findings of HMIP in relation to CRCs and will work with the provider to ensure that an appropriate plan is in place to address the identified areas for improvement. We take seriously concerns raised by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP) and others over staffing levels. All CRC contracts require the maintenance of a sufficient level of competent and adequately trained staff. We will work with South Yorkshire CRC to ensure that the issues of shortages of qualified probation officers and the assessment and management of risk of harm to others are addressed. We have been clear that probation services need to improve and are taking decisive action to stabilise and improve the delivery of probation services, We are investing an additional £22m a year to ensure that CRCs deliver an enhanced Through the Gate service to offenders leaving prison. This will include sustained support to find accommodation and employment on discharge. We have also taken decisive action by ending current CRC contracts early and last year, conducted a consultation on future arrangements. The proposals include measures to ensure the probation workforce is better supported to build their careers and deliver a high-quality service to offenders, such as introducing a standard training framework for staff and a national professional register to recognise the specialism and value of probation work. We are considering the feedback received and will set out detailed plans later this year.

Burglary: Sentencing

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the percentage of people convicted of burglary offences for the first time that were handed down custodial sentences in the latest period for which figures are available.

Rory Stewart: 4,239 people - both adults and youths - who had no previous convictions for burglary offences were convicted of a burglary offence in year ending September 2018, of which 2,306 (54%) received a custodial sentence. A custodial sentence includes both immediate custody and suspended sentence orders.Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for our independent courts, taking into account the particular circumstances of the offence and offender, and following any relevant sentencing guidelines.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps he will take to ensure parliamentary scrutiny of any proposals on dynamic alignment on rights and protections with the EU.

Kwasi Kwarteng: We do not need to be part of the EU to have strong protections or high standards and the UK already goes beyond EU minimum standards in a number of areas. In addition, the government has made a commitment not to reduce the standards of workers’ rights from EU laws retained in UK law and will ensure that new legislation changing those laws will be assessed as to whether they uphold this commitment. Any future changes in relation to rights and protections will be subject to the appropriate parliamentary scrutiny – with Parliament and the electorate continuing to hold the Government to account.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Disclosure of Information

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many non-disclosure agreements his Department has entered into with departmental staff in each of the last five years.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Department for Exiting the European Union has not issued any non-disclosure agreements to employees in the lifetime of the department.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Buildings: Insulation

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect on the building industry of the recent revisions made to Approved Document B.

James Brokenshire: Impact assessments were produced and published on the two recent amendments to approved document B. These are available on the department’s website as follows:Ban on combustible materials in external wall systemswww.gov.uk/government/publications/ban-on-combustible-materials-in-external-wall-systems-impact-assessmentAssessments in lieu of testswww.gov.uk/government/publications/assessments-in-lieu-of-tests-consultation-impact-assessment

Community Relations

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to improve social cohesion.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: In March 2018, the Government published the Integrated Communities Strategy Green Paper which set out our ambitious goal to build strong integrated communities where people - whatever their background - live, work, learn and socialise together, based on shared rights, responsibilities and opportunities. On 9 February 2019, we published the Integrated Communities Action Plan alongside the government’s response to the consultation on the Green Paper. The Action Plan builds upon the proposals set out in the Green Paper and commits the government to deliver over 70 policy actions by the end of this Parliament.

Local Government: Land

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's document entitled Land value estimates for policy appraisal, what the average value is of hectare of residential land in each local authority in England.

Kit Malthouse: The Department intermittently commissions and publishes land value estimate data from the Valuations Office Agency. The latest release can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/land-value-estimates-for-policy-appraisal-2017The published document has values for typical sites in each local authority, which can be considered a median value. However, alternative metrics for an average value, such as the mean, are unavailable.

Community Development: Young People

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits of youth in promoting community cohesion and inclusion.

Rishi Sunak: Government is committed to building stronger, better integrated communities where people – whatever their background – live, learn, work and socialise together based on shared rights, responsibilities and opportunities.The importance of young people in this agenda is highlighted in both our Integrated Communities Strategy Green Paper and Integrated Communities Action Plan. This includes the role that youth engagement and social action can play in forging meaningful connections and relationships with people from different backgrounds. That’s why we have committed to working with the National Citizen Service (NCS) Trust and DCMS to support social mixing opportunities for young people in areas of high segregation.

Regeneration: Coventry

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support his Department plans to provide to the regeneration project in Palmer Lane in Coventry.

Jake Berry: My Department is not providing specific support for the Palmer Lane project in Coventry.However, through the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) the Government has invested over £131 million of Local Growth Funding into Coventry and Warwickshire, which is supporting 16 projects across the region. This is forecast to deliver 7,500 new jobs, 3,400 new homes and bring in a total of £240 million of investment. The Government has additionally announced a new Stronger Towns Fund, a £1.6 billion fund to support towns in England to harness their unique strengths to grow and prosper.Following our departure from the European Union, we will create the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), a programme of investment to tackle inequalities between communities by raising productivity and which will invest across the foundations of productivity, identified in our Industrial Strategy.The Coventry and Warwickshire LEP continues to identify projects which can bring additional growth and jobs to the region.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 April 2019 to Question 239242, whether paragraph 12.7 of Approved Document Part B Volume 2 (2006) applied to all key components of external wall systems between its publication in 2007 and the publication of the amendment to the 2013 Edition in December 2018.

Kit Malthouse: I refer the honourable member to my answer of 21 March to Question UIN 233494. The guidance in approved documents should be considered in full and in the context to the requirements of the regulations themselves.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: o ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant the Answer of 27 March 2019 to Question 235314 on Buildings: Insulation, whether the testing has commended; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Steve Reed: o ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant the Answer of 27 March 2019 to Question 235314 on Buildings: Insulation, if he will publish a confirmed schedule for that testing.

Kit Malthouse: The test programme has not yet commenced because the test rig was damaged during a calibration test and has needed to be repaired. The schedule for the tests is being reappraised in the light of the delay to the start of the programme.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the attendee lists for shared prosperity fund stakeholder engagement events were chosen by (a) Ministers in his Department or (b) staff in his Department.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what shared prosperity fund stakeholder events his Department has planned in Wales; and what the (a) venue, (b) date and (c) attendee list is for each event.

Jake Berry: The attendee lists for the stakeholder engagement events were decided by officials from across UK Government. We spoke to businesses, public bodies, educational institutions, the voluntary and charity sector and rural partnership groups The list of stakeholder engagement events we have held in Wales are as follows:  Cardiff – 8 November 2018 (2 Events); Cardiff – 9 November 2018 (2 Events); St Asaph – 30 January 2019.

Local Government Finance

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has plans to publish more of the analysis that has informed the Fair Funding review proposals.

Rishi Sunak: The Government is undertaking a review of the relative needs and resources of local authorities in England, with a view to setting fresh baseline funding levels in 2020-21. We are working closely with local government representatives and others to consider the drivers of local authorities’ costs, the resources available locally to fund services, and how we should account for these in a way that draws a more transparent and understandable link between local circumstances and resource allocations.In December 2018 the Government published a consultation detailing its interim analysis and conclusions, and which set out its proposed approach to assessing the relative needs and resources of local authorities. We received over 300 responses to this consultation and are considering these responses carefully, before we take further decisions on the shape of the review. This is an ongoing process and as such, the analysis is not yet complete. However, the Government recognises the need for transparency, a key principle of the review, and intends to publish further detail on its proposals in due course.

Recreation Spaces: Finance

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has he made of trends in the level of funding for (a) parks and (b) green spaces.

Rishi Sunak: Although there is no existing assessment of trends in the level of funding for parks and green spaces, MHCLG in partnership with the Parks Action Group has commissioned research from the New Policy Institute, looking at levels of funding by Local Authorities for parks and green spaces. The Department plans to make this information accessible later this year.Spending on parks is a matter for local authorities; where local authorities have prioritised the protection and expansion of Green Spaces they have found the funds to do so.The Government recognises the value of parks and green spaces in providing vibrant and inclusive locations for communities to socialise, volunteer, work, and exercise. Access to green spaces fosters health, well-being, integration, and social engagement. Government will continue to work with the Parks Sector to help support the sustainability of parks and green spaces.

Sleeping Rough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps is he taking to ensure cold-weather emergency accommodation is available for every rough sleeper.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: It is unacceptable that in modern Britain anyone should be forced to sleep rough and this government is committed to ensuring that, regardless of weather, everyone has a roof over their head.We recognise that the challenges faced by those who sleep rough are especially acute during severe weather, and actively work alongside Local Authorities to mitigate this.In periods of severe weather Severe Weather Emergency Provision (SWEP) is triggered, and local authorities work closely with charities to provide basic emergency accommodation during this time to minimise the risk of harm to individuals who are sleeping rough when the temperature drops.Many local authorities will already make sure warm places to stay are available throughout the winter, not just during times when SWEP is in force.In addition on 31 October we launched the Cold Weather Fund of up to £5 million available to all local authorities to provide a robust, local response to support rough sleepers off the streets throughout the winter period. The deadline for Local Authorities to submit their claim forms for this was 5 April 2019.The fund was used to enhance accommodation provision such as access to the private rented sector, provide space in existing supporting housing projects, and fund interventions such as B&Bs and No Second Night Out services. These aim to quickly reduce the number of people sleeping rough in the cold period, while the longer-term Rough Sleeping Strategy interventions come into effect. This Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough.That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy which sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. Already, this has provided over 2,600 new bed spaces and 750 staff. In all, the Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period.

Housing: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to increase the provision of housing in Slough.

Kit Malthouse: It is vitally important that all local authorities plan to deliver the homes their communities need, now and in the future. Our planning reforms set out a comprehensive approach to ensure that the right homes are built in the right places of the right quality. It is for local authorities such as Slough to get a local plan in place, and use these tools and flexibilities to provide the homes their community needs. For example, Slough Borough Council, on behalf of Heathrow Strategic Partnership, received a total of £400,000 from the Planning Delivery Fund which was delivered within 2017/18 and 2018/19. This was to deliver a joint evidence base on planning for growth in the region.

Leasehold: Misrepresentation

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will commission an inquiry into leasehold misselling.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Government has asked the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to investigate whether there has been mis-selling of leasehold properties. We also welcome the recent report by the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee into leasehold reform, which highlights the reasons why leaseholders feel they have been mis-sold their home, and recommends that the CMA should investigate mis-selling in the leasehold sector. We look forward to the CMA’s response in due course.The Government has also encouraged the Solicitors Regulation Authority to use its powers to investigate any firms for which there is evidence of misconduct.

Travellers: Oxfordshire

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing legal encampments for members of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in Oxfordshire.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: As Planning Policy for Traveller Sites makes clear, all local planning authorities should identify the need for traveller sites and ensure that appropriate provision is made for the travelling community. In a written statement of 6 February, HCWS1305 , The Secretary of State reminded councils of this requirement and of the need for joint-working to address traveller site provision where necessary.

Ministry of Defence

Nuclear Submarines: Decommissioning

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many nuclear-powered submarines have been dismantled under the Submarine Dismantling Project.

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish which submarines are laid up in afloat storage at Rosyth waiting for dismantlng under the Submarine Dismantling Project; and on what date each of those submarines was laid up.

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which submarines are laid up in afloat storage at Devonport waiting for dismantlement under the Submarine Dismantling Project; and on what date each of those submarines was laid up.

Stuart Andrew: The National Audit Office published a report on 3 April 2019, following their investigation into submarine defueling and dismantling. The report acknowledges the complex nature of activities to defuel and dismantle our decommissioned submarines and includes the most recent information on the status of the submarines and projects involved. The details can be found in Figure 5 of the report which is available at the following link: https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Investigation-into-submarine-defueling-and-dismantling.pdf We remain committed to the safe, secure and cost-effective defuelling and dismantling of our nuclear submarines as soon as is practically possible. This commitment is illustrated by the recent success with commencement of the initial dismantling of the submarine Swiftsure, which has been followed immediately by commencement of the initial dismantling of Resolution.

Defence: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which of his Department's contracts since the publication of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 that are of a value equal to or greater than £1 billion have been placed taking into account National Security Objective 3.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which of his Department's contracts since the publication of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 that are of a value equal to or greater than £100 million have been placed taking into account National Security Objective 3.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what weight he attached to the marking criteria for National Security Objective 3 in developing each of his Department's contracts whose value is £1 billion or above for which that objective was taken into account.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what weight he attached to the marking criteria for National Security Objective 3 in developing each of his Department's contracts whose value is £10 million or above for which that objective was taken into account.

Stuart Andrew: Between publication of the Strategic Defence and Security Review in November 2015 and 31 March 2018, the Ministry of Defence awarded nearly 250 contracts above £10 million. Nearly 40 of these are worth more than £100 million, with none over £1 billion. These figures do not include extensions to existing contracts. Information on contracts awarded during the 2018-19 financial year is not yet available.Our investment appraisals process follows HM Treasury Green Book rules, which allow consideration of a range of factors including those within the scope of National Security Objective 3 if relevant, robust data is available. However, information on the criteria and weightings used for individual contracts varies, is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.On 14 March 2019, the Defence Secretary announced an ambitious Defence Prosperity Programme to grow defence's contribution to UK prosperity. As part of this programme we are working jointly with industry and academia to improve the quality and relevance of defence economic data that is available to decision maker.

Defence: Procurement

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the UK's capacity to manufacture the specialised cabling required under his Department's contracts.

Stuart Andrew: No assessment has been made of the UK's capacity to manufacture specialised cabling; we are satisfied that our supplier base can continue to manufacture the cables needed for our current Defence Programmes. We provide our Armed Forces with the capabilities they need at the best overall value for money, wherever possible through open competition.

Saudi Arabia: Military Aid

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether UK (a) contracted companies and (b) military personnel have fused munitions in support of the Saudi Royal Air Force since 2015.

Mark Lancaster: Neither UK contract personnel nor UK military personnel, who operate under the long-standing government-to-government arrangements, programme or arm fuses for operational sorties.

Saudi Arabia: Military Aid

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) BAE Systems employees and (b) seconded RAF personnel working in Saudi Arabia under government-to-government arrangements have (i) worked with and (ii) supported Royal Saudi Air Force squadrons involved in the air war in Yemen and (A) Weapons Load Technicians, (B) Line Control Supervisors, (C) Flight Dispatchers and (D) Weapons Supervisors.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold the information requested on the number of BAE Systems employees and seconded RAF personnel working in Saudi Arabia under government-to-government arrangements who have worked with and supported Royal Saudi Air Force squadrons involved in the air war in Yemen and Weapons Load Technicians, Line Control Supervisors, Flight Dispatchers and Weapons Supervisors. BAE Systems employees, including those RAF personnel on secondment to the company, do not provide direct support for Royal Saudi Air Force operational squadrons when engaged in operations in Yemen. They do not prepare aircraft for operations, do not load weapons, and do not get involved in the planning of operational sorties.

Military Decorations

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has plans to introduce a decoration to recognise the service of nuclear test veterans; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster: The Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals (HD Committee), which is supported by the Cabinet Office is re-establishing the Advisory Military Sub-Committee (AMSC) to examine historic military medals claims. The Defence Secretary has asked that they consider the award of a medal for the Nuclear Test Veterans.Details of the Sub-Committee's membership and terms of reference, as well as the process for assessing historic medals claims, will be announced by the Cabinet Office in due course and the AMSC is intended to start work in 2019.The Government continues to recognise and be grateful to all Servicemen and women who participated in the British nuclear testing programme. They contributed to keeping our nation secure during the Cold War and since, by ensuring that the UK was equipped with an appropriate nuclear capability.

Torpedoes: Procurement

Mr Paul Sweeney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has agreed a torpedo development road-map.

Mr Paul Sweeney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timeframe is for a decision on an upgrade for the Sting Ray torpedo.

Stuart Andrew: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given in the House of Lords by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for the Ministry of Defence (Earl Howe) on 26 February 2019 to Question HL13684 to the Noble Lord, Lord West of Spithead.A submarine launched heavy-weight torpedo development roadmap is in place.A roadmap for a replacement lightweight torpedo is subject to the decision on programme timing.  



Torpedoes
(Word Document, 27.18 KB)

Torpedoes: Procurement

Mr Paul Sweeney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what weighting his Department will apply to the national security objective 3 on UK prosperity in future torpedo procurement decisions.

Stuart Andrew: As with all procurement decisions, our investment appraisals process follows HM Treasury Green Book rules, which allow consideration of a range of factors including those within the scope of National Security Objective 3, if relevant, robust data is available.

Maritime Patrol Aircraft: Torpedoes

Mr Paul Sweeney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the integration of Sting Ray onto the Boeing Poseidon P-8A.

Stuart Andrew: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given in the House of Lords by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for the Ministry of Defence (Earl Howe) on 16 March 2018 to Question HL6179 to the Noble Lord, Lord West of Spithead.



Maritime Patrol Aircraft:Torpedoes
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Defence: Animal Experiments

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to reduce, refine and replace the use of animals for warfare experiments in Porton Down and other facilities which engage in such testing.

Stuart Andrew: The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) at Porton Down, Wiltshire, is licensed by the Home Office to conduct the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) in-house research involving the use of animals. The Home Office only allows testing if it is clear that the benefits outweigh the harms, and that the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) have been fully taken into account and will be implemented. Dstl operates in accordance with the principles of the 3Rs, and has an active programme to increase 3Rs implementation. For example, Dstl has developed an in-vitro method to measure the biological activity of anti-toxin medical countermeasures and has recently agreed with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency that our new tissue culture can replace animals in the future. In 2015, Dstl was part of a five-organisation partnership with the National Centre for the Replacement Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research, which published a roadmap on developing and applying non-animal technologies (NATs) to improve the methods and ways of testing the safety and effectiveness of pharmaceuticals, veterinary products, chemicals, agrichemicals and consumer products.

Ministry of Defence: Health Services

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what contracts his Department has awarded to Healthcare Resource Group in each of the last five years.

Stuart Andrew: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has not awarded any contracts to Healthcare Resource Group in the last five years. However, seven contracts have been awarded to Health Care Resourcing Group Limited over this period; a contract for the provision of medical services to the Army (started November 2014 and ended December 2017) and six contracts for temporary healthcare workers (started February 2017 and due to end in May 2019).

MOD Boscombe Down

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Boscombe Down Airfield emergency cover tender is a classified as matter of national defence.

Stuart Andrew: The tender for the provision of emergency ambulance cover at Ministry of Defence Boscombe Down is not classified as a matter of national defence.

MOD Boscombe Down

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on the Joint Forces Command review into the Boscombe Down Airfield emergency cover tender.

Stuart Andrew: A strategic review of the requirement was initiated in February 2019, which is still being undertaken.The original competed contract has been terminated and the future requirement is being reviewed; I envisage a new competition will be initiated and completed by March 2019.

Department for Work and Pensions

Personal Independence Payment: Terminal Illnesses

Karen Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to review the eligibility criteria for personal independence payment to enable all claimants living through terminal illness to receive automatically the enhanced rate of the daily living element of that benefit.

Justin Tomlinson: The Government is committed to supporting the needs of terminally ill claimants and ensuring that benefit rules are applied sensitively. The special rules applying to people who are terminally ill, including the reasonable expectation of death within 6-month rule, were first introduced in 1990 for Attendance Allowance following a recommendation from the Social Security Advisory Committee. The rules have been carried forward into a number of benefits and now apply across Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Personal Independence Payment and Universal Credit. The rules are also used elsewhere, for example the Early Access to Financial Assistance Scheme, administered by the Pension Protection Fund. The Department has recently met with a range of stakeholders, including leading clinicians and charities, to discuss the current wording used in the benefit system around terminal illness and will soon be providing clinicians with updated guidance with the aim of improving their understanding of the special rules. This is part of our continuous improvement work to improve people’s experience of claiming benefits and to ensure the benefits are working effectively and meeting the needs of claimants both now and in the future.

Department for Work and Pensions: Clinical Trials

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason her Department (a) allocated funding for the PACE medical trial; and has not allocated funding for other medical trials since the PACE trial.

Justin Tomlinson: Funding, authorised by the then Chief Medical Adviser to the Department for Work and Pensions, was made available as a contribution from the department to the PACE study. The Department continues to be involved in research activity relevant to its remit.

Department for Work and Pensions: Brexit

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government have taken to establish a hardship fund in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the proposed hardship fund in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal would be administered.

Alok Sharma: Leaving the EU with a deal remains the Government’s top priority. We have more people in work than ever before, with wages continuing to grow. DWP has contingency plans to ensure we can continue to provide our vital services to those who need them. As the Prime Minister has made clear, the best way forward is for the UK to leave the EU in an orderly way with a good deal and the Government is working to deliver legal certainty on the UK’s future relationship with the EU. However, as a responsible Government, we continue to prepare appropriately for all scenarios. As part of the process to ensure our orderly exit, we continue to monitor the effects of EU exit on the economy.

Children: Maintenance

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has plans to conduct an equality impact assessment in relation to the child maintenance service arrears strategy, and if she will make a statement.

Will Quince: DWP considered the impact of the compliance and arrears strategy on those with the relevant protected characteristics in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).We determined that there would be no direct discrimination from this strategy across the eight protected characteristics as none of the characteristics are a factor in how the regulations are applied. Some groups may be indirectly affected more than others as a result of the caseload demographic.

Universal Credit

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many advance benefit payments have been made all universal credit claimants for the months (a) March 2017 (b) March 2018 and (c) March 2019.

Alok Sharma: Around 60% of new claims to Universal Credit receive an advance payment in the first month of their claim. Subject to some fluctuation, this rate of advance take-up has been broadly consistent. This shows that claimants are being made aware of advances and are using it where they need this help.The table below shows the number of advance payments made to Universal Credit claimants.Data for March 2019 is not currently available MonthNumber of Advance paymentsMar-1728,000Mar-1869,000 Notes1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10002. The number of advances includes advances for both Universal Credit live service and full service. However different methodologies and data sources are used for each3. Where a claim receives multiple advances within the same month, all are counted individually.

Universal Credit

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the monthly entitlement of universal credit is estimated for the purposes of calculating an advance payment.

Alok Sharma: For the purpose of deciding the amount of Universal Credit new claim advance available, the indicative monthly Universal Credit entitlement is calculated from the information provided about the household on the Universal Credit new claim application.

Food Banks

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2019 to Question 238363 on Food Banks, what her timescale is for publication of the final report.

Will Quince: The Department is currently working on the literature review and a release date is yet to be determined.

Universal Credit: Disability

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that claimants that no longer receive the severe disability premium after migrating to universal credit receive the financial benefits they are entitled to.

Justin Tomlinson: The draft Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019 were laid in Parliament on 14 January 2019, and will introduce provision for those claimants who were in receipt of the Severe Disability Premium (SDP) and who have moved on to Universal Credit following a change in their circumstances. These regulations will provide both an on-going monthly payment to eligible claimants who have already lost the SDP as a consequence of moving to Universal Credit, and an additional lump sum payment to cover the period since they moved. These regulations are subject to parliamentary debate and approval before they come in to force. Once introduced we will implement our processes to identify those who are potentially eligible for payments, aiming to make all payments as quickly as possible and within 6 months of the regulations coming into force. This will be a time consuming process, as we have to identify claimants and assess their eligibility, possibly needing to check some information directly with claimants. We aim to finish making payments within 6 months of the regulations coming into force.

Universal Credit: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of tenants that will experience a financial shortfall as a result of 2019-20 being a 53-week rent year and  universal Credit being a 52 week rent year.

Will Quince: Neither tenants or landlords lose a week’s rent in a 53 weekly rent payment year as has been alleged; no year contains 53 weeks. The problem is alignment between weekly and monthly cycles. Each month the UC housing element is a constant figure but claimants with weekly tenancy agreements will be required to make either four or five rent payments within this period. If the claimant always pays their rent on time, in five payment months they are effectively making payment for part of the following month. That month will always be a four rent payment month, so the combination of the advance payment and the ‘overpayment’ of housing support during that month will get the claimant back on track Where a landlord charges rent weekly on a Monday, because of the way the calendar falls every 5 or 6 years, they will seek 53 rent payments in a year, with the 53rd payment in part covering the tenancy for the first few days of the following year. The effect of this is that, over the course of the next housing association rental year, a tenant’s UC payments will accurately reflect their liability, irrespective of the 53 payment weeks. There is a separate issue with respect to the way the calculation in the Universal Credit regulations converts a weekly liability into a monthly allowance. The conversion is achieved by multiplying the weekly rent by 52 and then dividing by 12. This effectively means one day’s rent a year (two days in a leap years) are not covered by UC. We are currently considering whether this formulation around weekly rents, and potentially other weekly amounts in the UC calculation, should be amended.

Unemployment: Young People

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential role youth work can play in tackling youth unemployment.

Alok Sharma: Youth work is coordinated by local authorities and/or other local third party organisations and so DWP has made no recent assessment of the role youth work plays in tackling youth unemployment. The DWP is committed to providing targeted support for young people so that everyone, no matter what their start in life, is given the very best chance of getting into work. We work with young people to tackle youth unemployment in a number of ways. For example, the Jobcentre Plus Support for Schools programme (England only) targets young people aged 12-18 who are at particular risk of being out of education, employment or training (NEET). JCP School Advisers attend secondary schools and provide information for students, teachers and parents on the alternatives to further or higher education into the world of work, such as, through traineeships and apprenticeships. They use their connections with local employers to facilitate the offer of work experience. An external evaluation was published in April 2018 which found that, overall, it was clear the programme has been well-received by schools and other stakeholders. It was seen to take a flexible, school-led approach to provision that has allowed a range of different schools to fill gaps in their provision relating to post-school pathways. The evaluation of the programme can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-jobcentre-plus-support-for-schools-programme-national-roll-out-evaluation.

Universal Credit: Children

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Child Poverty Action Group's recent report on universal credit, published on 6 April 2019, what assessment she has made of the two-child limit policy on compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Alok Sharma: The Government has assessed the impact of the two-child policy from an equality and human rights perspective throughout its development and in preparation for its implementation. Therefore, we consider that we have met our obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty and ensured compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010 and the UN convention on the Rights of the Child. The Government’s view is that providing support for a maximum of two children in Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit, ensures fairness between claimants, and to those taxpayers who support themselves solely through work. Families on benefits should face the same financial choices when deciding to grow their family as those supporting themselves solely through work. A benefits structure adjusting automatically to family size is unsustainable. The Government continues to take action to help families with the cost of living, including raising the national living wage, reducing the UC earnings taper, raising the income tax personal allowance, introducing tax-free childcare and 30 hours a week of free childcare for 3 and 4 year olds.

Personal Independence Payment

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many personal independence payment claimants lost their enhanced mobility rate in the last two years after previously receiving indefinite or lifetime awards.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit: Croydon

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she had made of the effect of the roll out of universal credit on levels of foodbank use in the London borough of Croydon.

Will Quince: The Department does not keep official statistics on food bank use, so the assessment requested is not available. Some food aid providers, such as the Trussell Trust, produce statistics on the number of food parcels distributed, but the Government has no plans to require individual food banks to keep records as this would place a significant burden on charitable and voluntary organisations. We have always said there are many reasons why people use foodbanks. We have listened to feedback on how we can support our claimants and acted quickly, making improvements such as extending advances, removing waiting days, and introducing housing benefit run on. These changes are giving support to vulnerable people who need it most, whilst at the same time helping people get into work faster.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Horse Racing: Animal Welfare

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the number of race horses that have (a) died during races and (b) died due to racing-related injuries in each of the last five years.

David Rutley: Defra is keen that the welfare needs of racehorses are well met, both during their racing lives and afterwards and any race horse fatality is one too many.   In their report, Cheltenham Festival Review 2018, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), who are responsible for the safety of racehorses at race tracks, made seventeen recommendations to make horseracing safer. The recommendations included that the industry must support a major research project to develop a predictive model for identifying risk factors for all jump racing and that rules relating to pulling up fatigued runners must be appropriately scrutinised and enforced, to encourage positive and responsible behaviour.   The Government considers that whilst the BHA have made improvements to the welfare of racehorses, there is still more work to be done. That is why I am keeping in regular contact with the BHA to see what further measures can be taken to reduce the number of racehorse fatalities.   Percentage of racehorse fatalities (as provided by the British Horseracing Authority)   YearFatal injuries% of horsesas fatalitiesRunners% of runnersas fatalities5-year average20141890.98%86,4560.22%0.22%20151560.79%88,3770.18%0.21%20161710.86%89,9750.19%0.21%20171670.82%91,3600.18%0.20%20182010.96%94,4390.21%0.20%

Non-native Species

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what governance and enforcement structures his Department plans to introduce with respect to invasive non-native species after the UK has left the EU.

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to (a) extend the (i) remit, (ii) expertise and (iii) capacity of the Non-Native Risk Analysis Panel (NNRAP) to replicate the functions of the EU Scientific Forum on Invasive Alien Species; and (b) allocate additional funding to the  NNRAP to fulfil those additional responsibilities.

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans for the UK to continue to have access to the EU Invasive Alien Species Scientific Forum and its associated research and expertise after the UK has left the EU.

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he will (a) extend the remit of the GB Non-Native Species Secretariat to support the expanded functions of the Non-Native Programme Board and Risk Analysis Panel once the UK has left the EU and (b) provide additional resources and funding to the Secretariat to support that purpose.

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to (a) extend the remit, expertise and capacity of the Non-Native Species Programme Board to replicate the functions currently undertaken by the EU Committee on Invasive Alien Species and (b) provide additional resources to the Programme Board for it to fulfil those additional responsibilities.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: When we leave the EU the existing Great Britain Programme Board on non-native species and the Non-native Risk Analysis Panel will take over the role of the EU Committee on Invasive Alien Species and the EU Invasive Alien Species Scientific Forum respectively and be expanded to include Northern Ireland. The Non-native Species Secretariat will continue to support the Programme Board. The UK has significant expertise in invasive non-native species, including in the area of risk analysis. In Great Britain we have had a comprehensive framework for assessing risks posed by these species since 2007 and this framework strongly influenced the EU’s approach, including its risk methodology, when the EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation came into force in 2015. After we leave the EU this long-standing approach to risk analysis and independent scientific scrutiny will continue to ensure that decisions have robust scientific justification. We do not therefore anticipate a need for additional resources for these bodies in fulfilling their remit in the UK. International co-operation is essential to control the spread of these species. The UK is committed to ongoing co-operation on invasive non-native species with the EU, Member States and other countries after we leave the EU.

Non-native Species

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on the threat of invasive non-native species; and what steps his Department is taking to mitigate those effects.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Invasive Non-Native Species (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (2019 No 233), which will come into force on exit day, will make the EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation operable. It will ensure that the strict protections that are in place for these species are maintained when we leave the EU. The Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order (2019 No 527) ensures that this retained EU Regulation is effectively enforced. As required by the EU Regulation, we have carried out a comprehensive analysis of the pathways of introduction and spread of invasive alien species and prioritised ten potential pathways. We will also be carrying out a comprehensive horizon scanning exercise later this year to identify invasive species that pose a risk of invading the UK and causing significant harm. This will take into account possible changes to trade resulting from the UK leaving the EU.

Dangerous Dogs Act 1991

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the research his Department has commissioned in collaboration with Middlesex University will assess the effectiveness of Section 1 of (a) the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and (b) breed specific legislation.

David Rutley: The Government response to the recent EFRA Committee report on dangerous dogs gives details of what the research project will consider which includes: a) The effectiveness of current dog control measures including the use of the powers provided to police and local authorities in 2014; b) Identifying and examining the risk factors and situations that may cause dog attacks, including whether any particular types of situation or domestic setting influence dog aggression and dog attacks and also how the risk factors relate to characteristics of the dog; how behavioural problems among dogs might best be addressed; and how policy might need to develop to deal with dog behavioural problems and c) How to promote responsible dog ownership and, in particular, to identify the additional help and information needed for dog owners who have experienced dog control issues or who are vulnerable to these (this includes evaluation of risk factors) to improve their responsible dog ownership. The research will not look specifically at issues relating section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and the prohibition on certain types of dog traditionally bred for fighting.

Plastics: Marine Environment

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of marine plastic pollution.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government has not made an estimate of the costs to the public purse of marine plastic pollution, but last week scientists from Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the Arctic University of Norway, the University of Stirling and the University of Surrey estimated an annual loss of between $500 billion and $2.5 trillion in the value of benefits derived from marine ecosystem services globally. This is a first step in understanding the true cost of marine plastic pollution, and we are developing the evidence base as part of our wider developments in marine natural capital evidence.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Brexit

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has deprioritised any Statutory Instruments in relation to the UK leaving the EU; and if he will publish the criteria his Department uses to deprioritise those Instruments.

David Rutley: Our objective has always been to have a functioning statute book in place by Exit Day and to ensure that the most critical secondary legislation was made by this point.   Defra requires 125 SIs to be in force for Exit day of which 122 have been laid and the other 3 SIs will be laid before Exit.   Each SI that is planned to be laid after 12 April has been carefully considered to ensure that this would not have legal or other consequences that cannot be addressed by temporary non legislative arrangements. In most cases the SIs would apply only very minor technical corrections to current legislation which would not impact operability or transfer functions from the EU which would not be required in the immediate period after Exit. We have also consulted the Devolved Administrations in reaching these conclusions.   As a consequence of this due diligence, Defra will have laid all critical secondary legislation immediately required for EU Exit. The laying of EU Exit SIs allows Parliament to fulfil its essential scrutiny role. The exact nature of this scrutiny, and the steps required before an SI completes its passage, is dependent on the type of SI and determined under the relevant primary powers.

Food Supply

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,  what assessment his Department has made of the effect on food supplies of the UK leaving the EU without a deal; and what plans his Department has to (a) maintain food supply and (b) protect against increases in food prices.

David Rutley: The UK has a high degree of food security, built on access to a range of sources including strong domestic production and imports from other countries. We have a highly resilient food supply chain and consumers in the UK have access to a range of sources of food. This will continue to be the case when we leave the EU, with or without a deal.   The food industry is experienced in dealing with scenarios that can affect food supply, from adverse weather damaging crops in other countries to transport issues abroad. We are meeting weekly with industry and retailers to make sure we are prepared for all scenarios as we leave the EU. On food prices, we have observed that the most important drivers of change in the cost of food are global food commodity prices, exchange rates and oil prices. This will continue to be the case once the UK has left the EU; the UK Government has no direct control of these factors. The UK Government does not have any role in setting food prices nor does it comment on the pricing policies of the food industry. We are working closely with industry to promote transparency for consumers and internationally to promote open global markets.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to support farmers who rely on EU subsidy payments after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Leaving the European Union provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform agriculture. Phasing out Direct Payments in England will free up money so we can reward farmers for delivering public goods, including environmental outcomes. We will phase out Direct Payments gradually over a transition period of 7 years. This will give time for farmers to adapt and prepare for the new environmental land management system, which will allow farmers to decide how best they can deliver environmental benefits from their business and their land. We will pay Direct Payments for the 2019 scheme year on the same basis as for 2018 and plan to allocate the money paid in Direct Payments for 2020 in much the same way that we do now. The Government has also pledged to continue to commit the same cash total in funds for farm support until the end of the Parliament, expected in 2022. The figure includes all EU and Exchequer funding provided for farm support under both Pillar 1 and Pillar 2. Furthermore, all Pillar 2 agreements signed by 31 December 2020 will be funded for their lifetime.

Food: Labelling

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential benefit of further formalising (a) environmental performance certification and (b) labelling for food products.

David Rutley: Independent farm assurance schemes provide a valuable service by enabling farmers to secure recognition for their high standards through certification. Defra is exploring how a common way of measuring sustainability can work with these schemes to give further clarity to consumers. At present, food labelling rules are harmonised in the EU under the Food Information to Consumers Regulation 1169/2011. The UK’s exit from the EU will provide us with the opportunity to review food labelling laws to ensure that consumers’ confidence in the food they buy continues to grow.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Brexit

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many Statutory Instruments on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU his Department has prepared but not yet laid.

David Rutley: There are a total of 138 EU Exit Statutory Instruments (SIs) in Defra’s SI programme, of which 125 are needed for Day 1.   As of 9 April, 122 of the SIs required for Day 1 have been laid and the remaining 3 SIs will be laid before exit day.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Brexit

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what Statutory Instruments not yet laid by his Department will be required in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

David Rutley: There are a total of 138 EU Exit SIs in Defra’s SI programme, of which 125 are needed for Day 1.   As of 9 April, 122 of the SIs required for day 1 have been laid and the remaining 3 SIs will be laid before Exit day.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest allocated to each responsible officer in Natural England has been in each year since 2008.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The information is not held in the form requested. However, the current resource estimate for Natural England staff working specifically on the 4,126 SSSIs in England is 133 full time equivalents, plus staff working on development planning advice and agri-environment agreements that involve SSSIs. It is not possible to supply the corresponding data for previous years.

Soil

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make soil quality a public good for the purposes of public subsidy; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Soil is one of our greatest assets. The numerous environmental benefits and services that can be derived from activities that enhance soil health will be eligible for public money.

Special Protection Areas: Birds

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the report entitled, the Status of UK SPAs in the 2000s: the Third Network Review, published by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee in 2016, what recommendations have been received by his Department on completing the network of Special Protection Areas for dunlin and golden plover.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: I am awaiting advice from Natural England.

Floods: Housing

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many homes in England have been deemed to be at risk of flooding in each of the last five years.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The total number of residential properties at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea, surface water and groundwater over the past 5 years is:  YearTotal number of residential properties at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea, surface water and groundwater (Millions)20154.820165.220175.220185.220195.1  Total properties at risk of flooding increased between 2015 and 2016 because of better property information from the Ordnance Survey. The Environment Agency’s programme of investment in Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management will reduce the risk of flooding to 300,000 homes in the six year period to March 2021. However, it does not eliminate the risk of flooding in these areas entirely.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Arms Length Bodies

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2019 to Question 240639 on Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Arm's Length Bodies, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of seconding those 80 staff from arm's-length bodies to work on preparations for the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

David Rutley: There is no additional cost to the public purse because Defra has sought to reprioritise staff from across the group to focus on key requirements related to the UK’s departure from the EU, whilst minimising the need for additional recruitment.

Animal Welfare: Sentencing

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2019 to Question 233614, whether his Department has drafted primary legislation to increase the custodial maximum penalty for animal cruelty from six months imprisonment to five years imprisonment.

David Rutley: We are committed to the highest standards of animal welfare. On 26 October 2018, the Government published the draft Animal Welfare (Sentencing and Recognition of Sentience) Bill which contains the necessary provisions to increase the maximum penalty for animal cruelty from six months’ imprisonment to five years’ imprisonment in England and Wales, and which we will introduce as soon as parliamentary time permits.

Pets: Sales

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2019 to Question 230935, whether his Department has drafted the primary legislation required to ban third party selling of puppies and kittens; and if he will make a statement.

David Rutley: The ban on third party sales of puppies and kittens is an important step towards further improving welfare standards for puppies in England. On 23 December 2018 the Government announced that it would bringing forward the ban as soon as possible. The necessary secondary legislation is being drafted and will be laid in Parliament as soon as practically possible. When introduced, the ban will address welfare concerns associated with the sale of puppies by dealers and pet shops. It will also crack down on unscrupulous breeders who operate with little regard for animal welfare.

Pets: Electronic Training Aids

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2019 to Question 230930, whether his Department has drafted the primary legislation required to ban the use of hand-held remote controlled e-collar devices for dogs and cats.

David Rutley: The Government has begun drafting the necessary secondary legislation needed to ban the use of hand-held remote controlled e-collars for dogs and cats in England and which will help maintain the country’s high standards of animal welfare.

Home Office

Migrant Workers: Clergy

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with the Roman Catholic hierarchy in England and Wales about their ability to host for indefinite periods seconded clergy from (a) Poland and (b) other EU Member States after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes: The recently published White Paper on the future immigration system, sets out our intention to continue to attract those who bring a range of skills, including those who make valuable contributions to the enjoyment of faith and community across the UK.In the future, there will be a single skills-based system. Under current arrangements, which we will look to build on, there are two routes available for non-EU nationals. The first, Tier 2 Ministers of Religion is for those play-ing a leading role as faith leaders in our religious institutions. The second route, Tier 5 Religious Workers is for those undertaking non-pastoral roles supporting the activities of these institutions. We are embarking on an ex-tensive programme of engagement and will be talking to representatives of a range of faith and community groups, including from the Catholic Church.

British Nationality: Children

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of money received by the Government from applications for citizenship for children in 2018-19.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office does not record fees received from applications by British-born children separately to a unique account code within our accounting software, and therefore does not have sufficiently detailed management information to breakdown income into any component categories, for example by spouse/partner/child applicationsAmounts received from Visa/Citizenship applications are not differentiated between the various categories in which they are received. We do not have a separate code or field for children’s nationality applications. Our ledger will not allow us to provide this level of detail.

Refugees: Families

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of refugee family reunion on the integration of refugees in the UK.

Caroline Nokes: The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it – and this Government is committed to ensuring refugees can take positive steps towards integration as they rebuild their lives in the UK.The Government provides a safe and legal route to bring families together through its family reunion policy. This allows a partner and children under 18 of those granted protection in the UK to join them here, if they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country. Under this policy, we have granted visas to over 26,000 partners and children of those granted protection in the UK in the last five years – that is over 5,000 a year. In exceptional circumstances, our policy also makes clear there is discretion to grant visas outside the Immigration Rules, which caters for extended family members including young adult sons or daughters who are dependent on family here and living in dangerous situations.Family connections are an important enabler of integration. However, we must also ensure we do not create incentives for more people, particularly children, to leave their homes and risk dangerous journeys hoping relatives can join them later. Those who need protection must claim in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.

Civil Disorder

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the preparedness of police services for civil disorder in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Mr Nick Hurd: The police have well established mobilisation plans for public disorder. Both the police and Home Office keep the risk of public disorder and thepolice’s capability and capacity to respond to significant incidents under continual review.My department is working closely with the National Police Chiefs Council and National Police Coordination Centre to ensure these plans are appropriate and robust in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans his Department has to guarantee the (a) residency and (b) other associated rights to public services of EU nationals in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Caroline Nokes: In the event that the UK leaves the European Union without a deal, the Government will continue to operate the EU Settlement Scheme for European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss citizens resident in the UK by exit day and their family members, enabling them to obtain the UK immigration status which they will need in order to reside here permanently. This reflects the policy paper “Citizens’ Rights – EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU” published by the Department for Exiting the European Union on 6 December 2018 and updated on 28 March 2019.In a ‘no deal’ scenario, EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members lawfully residing in the UK by exit day will continue to be able to access in-country benefits and public services on broadly the same terms as now. This means that they will retain their entitlement to healthcare, education, benefits and social housing on the same basis as now, and that these entitlements will be subject to any future domestic policy changes which apply to UK nationals. Further information is in the policy paper “EU exit: eligibility arrangements to access public funds after free movement ends if there is no deal” published by the Department for Exiting the European Union on 26 March 2019.

Firearms: Licensing

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much money West Midlands Police has spent on gun licence applications in each year since 2010.

Mr Nick Hurd: This information is not held centrally by the Home Office.We will be looking at the overall costs to the police of their firearms licensing functions when we next review firearms licensing fees in 2020.

Visas: Afghanistan

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many visa applications his Department has received from Afghan interpreters since the Government's commitment to grant 50 such visas ten months ago.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office does not publish the information requested. Published data available regarding visa applications by category and nationality as well as asylum and those to whom the UK provides protection can be found at the link below. However, the data does not break down as far as Afghan interpreters:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-december-2018

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2019 to Question 237682 on Travellers: Caravan Sites, for what reason that Answer did not set out (a) the number of (i) police forces and (ii) police representative bodies that responded to that consultation and (b) how many of those responses favoured the criminalisation of unauthorised encampments.

Mr Nick Hurd: Last year’s Government consultation on powers for dealing with unauthorised development and encampments received responses from a wide range of stakeholders, including police forces, offices of police and crime commissioners, law enforcement representative bodies, local authorities, private sector bodies, representative groups of the Gypsy and Traveller community and members of the public. The result of this consultation was clear - people want to see greater protection for local communities.  Acting on the findings of the consultation, where the majority of respondents believed that the Government should consider criminalising unauthorised encampments, the Home Office launched a review into whether this could be achievedResponses to the consultation were received from six police forces and two police representative bodies. A summary of responses to the consultation can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/powers-for-dealing-with-unauthorised-development-and-encampments

Radicalism: Veterans

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of Prevent nominals classed as extreme right-wing ideology are military veterans.

Mr Ben Wallace: Of the 7,318 referrals to the Prevent programme in 2017/18, 1,312 (18%) related to Right Wing Extremism. Police data shows that five (0.4%) of those 1,312 referrals were made by the military.This figure does not necessarily capture all military veterans referred to Prevent, since these may originate from others who may not know and individual’s employment history, including military service. The MOD issued a new Prevent policy in March 2019 and police, MOD and the Home Office are working closely together to ensure that appropriate support is offered to individuals vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism, including veterans and other individuals with links to the military.

Overseas Students: English Language

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his oral contribution of 1 April, Official Report, Column 799, when he plans to announce his final decisions in relation to the overseas students falsely accused of cheating in TOEIC English language tests.

Caroline Nokes: Further to the answer of 1 April, my Rt Hon Friend the Home Secretary has recently met with officials to discuss the important issue of TOEIC fraud. In that meeting he asked for some further advice on particular points that had been raised by the Rt Hon Member for East Ham. Once my Rt Hon Friend has considered that further advice he will write to him and other members who have raised this issue.

Visas: Innovation

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Innovator Visa applicants were granted endorsements by official endorsing bodies since the introduction of the Innovator Visa.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish the names of endorsing bodies for applications to the Innovator Visa programme.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he has taken to ensure that all endorsing bodies for the Innovator Visa have published guidance that informs applicants of how to apply for an endorsement required for the Visa.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether applicants to the Innovator Visa programme will be required to apply for the existing accelerator programmes of the listed endorsing bodies.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Innovator Visas have been granted since the launch of the programme in March 2019.

Caroline Nokes: The Tier 1 Innovator visa was launched on 29th March 2019. It has not yet been in operation for a long enough time period for any meaningful data to be collected.A full list of authorised endorsing bodies is published on gov.uk at the following location:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/endorsing-bodies-innovatorIt is a matter for endorsing bodies to decide if they will only endorse applicants to their own programmes and how to publicise their processes for obtaining Innovator visa endorsement. The Home Office has published guidance for endorsing bodies on how to assess applications at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/start-up-and-innovator-endorsing-bodies-guidance

Deportation

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people deported in the last 12 months (a) had previously been a student in the UK, (b) were in the UK on a work visas and (c) were known to the Government.

Caroline Nokes: The latest published statistics on returns can be found on-line at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-december-2018Deportations are a subset of enforced returns. They may occur either following a criminal conviction, or when it is judged that a person’s removal from the UK is conducive to the public good. Information on those deported is not separately available. Published statistics refer to enforced returns, which include deportations, as well as cases where a person has breached UK immigration laws, and those removed under other administrative and illegal entry powers who have declined to leave voluntarily. Most illegal immigrants are removed from the UK under administrative or illegal entry powers and not deported.The Home Office does not hold the information requested centrally. Providing the information requested would require a trawl through Immigration databases, which could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Refugees: Kuwait

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of Kuwaiti political refugees in the UK.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office is unable to report the estimate number of Kuwaiti political refugees in the UK.However, the statistics for the number of asylum applications and initial decisions by country of nationality, including those from Kuwait (up to December 2018) are published in Immigration Statistics and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2018/list-of-tables#asylum, tab as_01 Volume 1.Furthermore, the statistics for number of appeals allowed on the grounds of asylum by country of nationality are published in the Immigration Statistics and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2018/list-of-tables#asylum, tab as_14 volume 4.The figures for the number of appeals allowed on the grounds of asylum may not be 100% accurate, due to the number of successful onward appeals from either the claimant or the Home Office.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2019 to Question 236270 on Immigration: EU Nationals, at what locations applicants for the EU Settlement Scheme can have their passport scanned.

Caroline Nokes: There are now 50 locations nationwide where applicants can have their pass-port scanned and verified.Details of the service and the locations where this service is available can be found on Gov.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-id-document-scanner-locations

Scotland Office

Migrant Workers: Clergy

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Roman Catholic hierarchy in Scotland about their ability to host for indefinite periods seconded clergy from (a) Poland and (b) other EU Member States after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: Under the current Immigration Rules there are two routes available for non-EU nationals. The first, Tier 2 Ministers of Religion, is for those playing a leading role as faith leaders in our religious institutions. The second route, Tier 5 Religious Workers, is for those undertaking non-pastoral roles supporting the activities of these institutions. Our intention is to continue to attract those who bring a range of skills, including those who make valuable contributions to the enjoyment of faith and community across the UK. Late last year I met Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Glasgow and President of the Bishops’ Conference, and discussed a number of issues with him, including the UK’s forthcoming exit from the European Union. Since then the Government has published its White Paper on the future immigration system, and I fully expect the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland will wish to engage with the Home Office on its particular circumstances and requirements.

Cabinet Office

European Parliament: Elections

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of the UK participating in elections to the European Parliament in 2019.

Chloe Smith: The Government has made it clear that the UK intends to leave the EU with a deal and not take part in the European Parliamentary Elections (EPE) in May if possible, however, all the necessary preparations will be made for the election to take place on 23 May. As is normal practice, the Cabinet Office is currently in process of finalising cost estimates and these will be published in the relevant Charges Order in due course.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in levels of domestic abuse in (a) Coventry and (b) the UK.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response
(PDF Document, 178.71 KB)

Government Departments: Facebook

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the Government's guidelines on the content that is advertised on Facebook by the Government; and who is responsible for enforcing those rules.

Chloe Smith: Guidance for government advertising on Facebook is the same as guidance for government advertising on any channel. All activity must be considered in terms of value for money and how effectively it reaches the target audience. Though departments are responsible for their own advertising, the Government Communications Service promotes high standards across government and models best practice.Civil servants are bound by the Civil Service code, which ensures that duties are carried out in line with the core values of the Civil Service: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Rendition and Torture: Inquiries

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2018 to Question 191312 on Rendition and Torture: Inquiries, when he plans to announce whether to launch an independent judge-led inquiry into UK involvement in torture and rendition.

Mr David Lidington: Further to the Prime Minister’s Written Statement of 22 November 2018 (HCWS1100), the Government continues to give serious consideration to the examination of detainee issues and whether any more lessons can be learned and, if so, how. This includes the question of whether or not there should be a further judge-led inquiry.

European Parliament: Elections

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government has plans to hold European Union elections in the event of an extension of Article 50 until 30 June 2018.

Chloe Smith: It remains the Government’s intention to leave the EU with a deal and not participate in European Parliamentary elections.As a responsible Government we have taken the necessary steps required by law should we have to participate in the poll. We have laid a Day of Poll Order before Parliament that sets 23 May 2019 as the date of the poll for the European Parliamentary elections in the UK and Gibraltar. This provides Returning Officers with a date to hold potential European Parliamentary elections and meets the legal requirements at this stage.The legislation does not make it inevitable that we will hold these elections, as leaving the EU before the date of the election would automatically remove our obligation to take part.

Northern Ireland Office

Migrant Workers: Clergy

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with the Roman Catholic hierarchy in Ireland about its ability to host for indefinite periods seconded clergy from (a) Poland and (b) other EU Member States after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: The Home Office is the lead Department in relation to these issues. I understand that the Minister of State for Immigration wrote to faith leaders in mid-December, setting out both the detail and rationale for the changes and guidance is currently being prepared.

Local Government: Elections

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing provisions in local government electoral legislation that prevents people standing those elections that have legitimate reasons for not disclosing a home address on the nomination form.

John Penrose: The legislative requirement for candidates standing in local elections in Northern Ireland to disclose their home address on their nomination form has been in place for many years. It is too late to change this in time for the elections on 2 May 2019, but I am happy to confirm the Government agrees it must change to prevent a recurrence in future local elections.

Treasury

Apprentices: Taxation

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much money has been raised through the apprenticeship levy in each month since its introduction.

Elizabeth Truss: Monthly receipts data for the Apprenticeship Levy is published by HM Revenue & Customs in their Tax & NIC Receipts publication which can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk A condensed version of the relevant table has been copied below:HM Revenue and Customs receiptsYearApprenticeship LevyMay-17162Jun-17198Jul-17211Aug-17210Sep-17206Oct-17207Nov17208Dec-17176Jan-18252Feb-18218Mar-18223Apr-18278May-18228Jun-18212Jul-18220Aug-18228Sep-18213Oct-18218Nov-18219Dec-18213Jan-19233Feb-19227Amounts : £ million

Unpaid Taxes

Peter Dowd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue was collected in unpaid tax by HMRC as a result of successful tribunal cases in the last 12 months.

Mel Stride: HMRC protected £2.5bn tax as a result of tribunal cases found in its favour in 2018-19.In 2018-19 £389m was protected as a result of direct tax cases which were found in HMRC’s favour. In these cases, tax is not normally payable until the outcome of the appeal. In 2018-19 £2.1bn was retained as a result of successful indirect tax cases in the tribunals.

Treasury: Brexit

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has deprioritised any Statutory Instruments in relation to the UK leaving the EU; and if he will publish the criteria his Department uses to deprioritise those Instruments.

Robert Jenrick: To date HM Treasury and HMRC have laid 54 and 48 EU Exit Statutory Instruments (SIs), and both departments are confident of delivering essential legislation in time for Exit day. Our objective has always been to have a functioning statute book in place by Exit day and to ensure that the most critical secondary legislation was made by this point. Across the two departments, a small number of SIs will come into force after Exit day; this was planned due to the fact that these SIs make minor technical amendments to earlier EU Exit legislation and were therefore not required to be in place by Exit day. The laying of EU Exit SIs allows Parliament to fulfil its essential scrutiny role. The exact nature of this scrutiny, and the steps required before an SI completes its passage, is dependent on the type of SI.

Government Departments: Brexit

Helen Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has plans to allocate additional funding to Government Departments in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Elizabeth Truss: The Government is committed to ensuring all necessary preparations are made before the UK’s departure from the EU, for all scenarios, deal or no deal. The Chancellor has already allocated over £2bn of additional funding for 19/20, as detailed in the Written Ministerial Statement, HCWS1205, laid on the 18th December (https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-12-18/HCWS1205/)

Import Duties

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was received in tariffs for goods imported into the UK from non-EU sources in the last year for which figures are available; and how much of that was sent on to the EU.

Mel Stride: In accordance with EU regulations, Member States contribute 80% of customs duties collected on non-EU imports. The UK consequently retains 20% of these duties to cover the costs of collection. In 2017, the UK contributed £3.2bn in customs duties to the EU.

Tobacco: Taxation

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of (a) cigarettes and (b) pouches of tobacco smoked in the UK that have had full tax paid on them; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Jenrick: The information requested is available within Table 3.5 and Table 3.6, chapter 3, of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)’s publication Measuring Tax Gaps: 2018 Edition, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/measuring-tax-gaps. HMRC estimates that tax and duty was paid on approximately 29.5 billion cigarettes in 2016-17 and 6.4 million kg of hand rolling tobacco, representing 85% of the total cigarette market and 72% of the hand rolling tobacco market.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Social Media

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to ensure technology manufacturers are differentiated from social media companies in the online harms White Paper.

Margot James: The Online Harms White Paper, published on 8 April, sets out the proposed scope of its regulatory framework to improve user safety online. This includes online services that facilitate the hosting or discovery of user-generated content, and interaction between users. While this would not include organisations that are solely technology manufacturers, all services within the digital ecosystem have a responsibility for encouraging user safety.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Trudy Harrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to improve rural broadband.

Margot James: The Government’s policy is to ensure world-class broadband and mobile connectivity across the UK. We are currently implementing a number of policies to achieve this in rural areas. £1.8 billion of public money is being invested to support vital improvements in superfast broadband coverage across the UK, including in rural areas. In December 2017, we met our target to extend superfast coverage to 95% of UK premises, and we expect to reach at least 97% by 2020. DCMS has also put in place legislation to create a new Universal Service Obligation (USO) giving every household and business the right to request a broadband connection of at least 10 Megabits per second (Mbps) by 2020, to ensure access to decent connectivity. Ofcom are now responsible for implementing the USO. Further details, including how to apply are expected to be announced in the summer. In addition, the Better Broadband Scheme provides voucher funding to UK premises that do not have access to affordable broadband service delivering at least 2Mbps. DEFRA has allocated £75 million of grant funding from the Rural Development Programme for England, targeted at helping to connect businesses with superfast broadband in hard to reach rural areas. Looking forward, we want to provide world class digital connectivity that is gigabit-capable, reliable, long-lasting and widely available across the UK. We have set ambitious targets - for 15 million premises to be connected to full fibre by 2025, with nationwide coverage by 2033. In the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, we set out our long term national strategy to meet these targets, and to ensure that rural and remote areas are not left behind. Critical to delivering this ambition, is the “outside-in” approach set out in the review, which seeks to ensure that the harder to reach, mostly rural areas which are not viable for commercial investment - are addressed at the same pace as the rest of the country.

Thai Boxing

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the International Olympic Committee on the introduction of kickboxing into the Olympics.

Mims Davies: We have had no such discussions. Decisions on which sports are to be included at the Olympic Games are matters for the International Olympic Committee.

Thai Boxing

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he provide an estimate of the number of people who participated in kickboxing in (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made for the number of people expected to participate in kickboxing in (a) 2019 and (b) 2020.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what financial support his Department has provided for kickboxing in (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.

Mims Davies: The government does not collect data on the number of people who participate in kickboxing as part of Sport England’s Active Lives Adult or Children Surveys as it is not a sport that is recognised by the Home Countries Sports Councils. The Active Lives Adult and Children Surveys provide data on the number of people who have participated in sport and physical activity over the past 12 months. The government does not maintain an estimate of the number of people that are expected to participate in kickboxing in future years. Further details of which sports are covered by the Active Lives Adult and Children’s Surveys can be found in the respective Technical Reports here: https://www.sportengland.org/media/12455/technical-summary-may-16-17-report.pdf and https://www.sportengland.org/media/13670/active-lives-cyp-technical-note-2017-18.pdf Sport England has not provided any direct funding to kickboxing projects in the past, however, it has previously provided funding to multi-sport projects which may have included a kick-boxing component.

Boxing: Females

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of changes in the number of women participating in female boxing since that sport was introduced into the Olympic programme in 2012.

Mims Davies: The figures for women who report having taken part in boxing since 2015 are detailed in the table below (data from the Active Lives Survey). I welcome the growth in women taking part in the sport, we are determined to get more girls and women playing sport, something we set out in our sport strategy, Sporting Future. The predecessor to the Active Lives Survey, the Active People Survey, collected data from October 2005 to September 2016 - data is available online: https://www.sportengland.org/research/about-our-research/active-people-survey/. Owing to the different methodologies employed, the data sets from the two surveys are not directly comparable.Nov 15/16May 16/17Nov 16/17May 17/18Boxing (includes boxing fitness classes)Number356,500380,200401,400410,400Boxing (traditional)Number119,900109,900121,700122,900

Internet: Children

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance his Department has published on internet parental controls.

Margot James: As highlighted in the Online Harms White Paper, published 8 April, the Government will develop a new Online Media Literacy Strategy. This strategy will ensure a coordinated and strategic approach to online media literacy education and awareness for children, young people and adults. Government is already working with trusted partners to raise awareness of the range of advice on offer to help parents. This includes guidance from many organisations such as Parent Info, Internet Matters, and the UK Safer Internet Centre. Tech companies such as Google, Twitter, Vodafone, O2/ Telefonica, and Facebook also host safety information on their websites, and run projects and initiatives around online safety and parental controls.

Tourism

Trudy Harrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to support tourism action zones.

Michael Ellis: We are working closely with the tourism industry on the proposed Sector Deal for tourism. One of the proposals put forward by the industry is the creation of Tourism Action Zones in order to take a targeted and focused approach to tackle issues, such as improving productivity and extending the tourism season. We are looking at this proposal and considering it as part of our work.

Gaming Machines

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that bookmakers comply with the £2 maximum unit stake on B2 gaming machines.

Mims Davies: The Gambling Commission has strong regulatory powers up to and including revocation of operating licences. The Government and the Gambling Commission expect industry to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the new regulations on B2 gaming machines to ensure that consumers continue to be protected from harm. High-stake roulette-style products launched on 1 April by two high-street bookmakers were withdrawn the following day after a warning from the Gambling Commission. The Commission is continuing to investigate the circumstances and the operators could still face regulatory action. The Commission may also investigate key senior staff at bookmakers who are responsible for bringing those products to market. The Government and the Gambling Commission will continue to monitor any such actions and will take action where necessary.

Youth Work

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he has made of the positive effect of youth work in supporting (a) young LGBT people, (b) young people with special needs, (c) young women, (d) religious communities and (e) other groups with specific identities.

Mims Davies: Government is committed to supporting youth workers to develop the skills they need to best support all young people. We have pledged to renew specific youth work qualifications that were due to expire in 2020, subject to a business case, and review the youth work training curriculum.

Youth Work

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential role of youth work in supplementing and augmenting formal education while also developing skills of young people not fulfilled in a formal school environment.

Mims Davies: Government recognises that informal education can play a positive role in providing young people with the skills and resilience needed to succeed in life. We value opportunities for young people to build trusted relationships and to seek spaces where youth work can deliver high quality information, advice and guidance alongside positive activities that improve wellbeing and participation in their communities.Government is committed to supporting youth workers to develop the skills they need to best support all young people. We have pledged to renew specific youth work qualifications that were due to expire in 2020, subject to a business case, and review the youth work training curriculum.

Lotteries: Reform

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the timeframe is for the announcement of plans to reform the regulation of society lotteries.

Mims Davies: The consultation on society lottery reform closed on 7 September 2018 and received over 1,600 responses. I have also met with key stakeholders in the lotteries sector to hear their views on the reform options. I am carefully considering the evidence and I hope to respond to the consultation before the summer recess.

Sports: Erasmus+ Programme

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for DCMS what guidance his Department has issued to sports organisations in the event that they successfully apply for Erasmus funding and are expected to participate in Erasmus projects but do not receive the funding allocated as a result of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Mims Davies: The HMG guarantee will cover the payment of awards to UK applicants for all successful Erasmus+ bids submitted before the end of 2020 (including those from sports organisations). Successful bids are those that are approved directly by the Commission or by the UK National Agency and ratified by the Commission. We have recently published updated guidance on GOV.UK that helps beneficiaries take the first steps towards making an application for the guarantee.

Cybercrime

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2019, published in April 2019, what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of Government cyber initiatives and communications.

Margot James: The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has responsibility for a number of policy objectives in the National Cyber Security Strategy relating to improving the cyber resilience of organisations across the economy. In this role, DCMS works very closely with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which was established in October 2016 as the UK’s authority on cyber security matters. The NCSC regularly produces contextualised guidance, products and services, such as Cyber Essentials and 10 Steps to Cyber Security, which allow organisations across key sectors to protect themselves against cyber incidents. The NCSC also works closely with regulators, trade associations and other external partners to proactively share its guidance, products and services to ensure they reach organisations, all of which can be found on the recently relaunched NCSC website. Additionally, Government departments, including DCMS and the NCSC, are working together to deliver a national campaign for cyber security to help individuals and organisations take action to protect themselves online.

5G: Railways

Luke Pollard: What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on enabling the provision of 5G along the train line in Devon and Cornwall.

Margot James: I refer to the answer provided by the Secretary of State to the topical question raised by the Hon member at oral questions today.

Cultural Heritage: Finance

Mrs Pauline Latham: What assessment he has made of the potential economic effect of the Cultural Development Fund on local areas.

Michael Ellis: Five local areas across England will receive a share of £20 million to invest in local culture, heritage and creative industries and make places more attractive to live, work and visit. This investment is expected to create more than 1,300 new jobs across the country, boost tourism and increase inward investment.

Music: Licensed Premises

Jo Stevens: What assessment he has made of the potential effect on the financial sustainability of music venues of extending business rates relief to those venues.

Jeremy Wright: Grassroots venues are an important part of our music ecosystem and the Hon member will be aware of the assistance the Government has already been able to give them in planning and licensing policy. We have also announced a £300 million rate relief fund that allows councils to provide support to businesses, like music venues, facing increased bills. We are exploring what more can be done.

Prime Minister

Yemen: Armed Conflict

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister, what the outcomes were of her discussions with the German Chancellor on Tuesday 9th April 2019 on the situation in Yemen.

Mrs Theresa May: I refer the right hon. Member to the press release issued on 9 April 2019 following my meeting with Chancellor Merkel and which is available on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-meeting-with-chancellor-angela-merkel-9-april-2019

Women and Equalities

Carers: Children

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if the Government will take steps to ensure that non-working women are able to afford to raise their children at home.

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether her Department is taking steps to encourage woman to have children; and what support the Government provides to new mothers.

Victoria Atkins: The Government Equalities Office is working to address the persistent gendered barriers that women and men face at every stage of their lives. As part of our new strategy we will set out what the Government is doing to ensure that people have financial independence and resilience, as well as real choice and influence over the economic decisions in their lives. This includes the choices that women make around whether to have children, and how to balance work and care. The Government provides a range of support for new mothers, depending on their needs and the needs of their families. These include breastfeeding, perinatal mental health, and health visitor support. Enabling women and men to spend quality time with their child in the first year is important to support families to bond. The right to request flexible working, and the introduction of Shared Parental Leave helps parents to balance work and care between them, in a way that works for their families. If mothers want to return to work, childcare support is available, we have doubled the childcare entitlement for working parents of 3 and 4 year olds, from 15 to 30 hours a week as well as introducing Tax-Free Childcare. This means that this year we will be spending around £6bn on childcare support, this is more than any previous government.